The Hollow Takes Control: Chronicles of Zangetsu
by vampKing1995
Summary: Defeated at the hands of Ulquiorra, Ichigo's inner Hollow is quick to take control and become dominant.  Sorry about repeadting the same chapter. I forgot how to add onto an existing story
1. Prolouge

_The Hollow Takes Control:_

_Chronicles of Ichigo Kurosaki_

On the verge of death, after being defeated by the Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra in the tower on his way to save Rukia, Ichigo fell into his inner world. Waiting for him there, is his Hollow. With a smirk, he says, "I didn't expect to see you here so soon, King. I thought you were stronger than this. But I warned you, Ichigo." Using Shunpo, the Hollow stabs Ichigo in the chest.

Ichigo can't even react in time to avoid the blow. "Look at that. You can't even defend yourself. You really are pathetic. You are no longer the King. _I _am," he cackles. At long last, his inner Hollows Spiritual Pressure surges free. Unable to repress it, unable to resist or do anything, Ichigo just watches as his world come crumbling down. "Don't worry, Kurosaki. Those girls you wanted to save? I'll make sure to do it." Just like that, the Hollow vanishes, finally freed at last.

In the tower within Los Noches, the body of Ichigo rises. A white substances burst from his mouth and the hole in his chest seems to shrink, just a little. His dark brown eyes, warm yet fierce, become cold and frightening. The whites in his eyes go black and the brown turns into a dark gold like color. The white substance completely covers his body.

All throughout Los Noches, soul reapers and Arrancars feel the transformation. On his way to revive him, Grimmjow and Orihime are the first ones to arrive. "Ichigo!" she cries once Grimmjow lets her go. She tries running to his side, but Grimmjow holds her back.

"Who the hell are you?" Grimmjow growls, reaching for his zanpakto. The Hollow glances at him and grins. A huge explosion of Spiritual Pressure blasts both of them out. The tower crumbles down to the ground and the transformation finally ends.

A paler version of Ichigo stands in the air, wielding a snow white Zangetsu. "You want to know who I am, Espada?" the figure cackles. His voice is demented and mocking, full of pure menace. "I am the King of this body. I am the strongest!" Using Sonido, he brings the sword down his side, slashing him open. Grimmjow pushes Orihime out of the way and leaps back the moment the Hollow stops. He draws his sword and thrusts out a palm, releasing a dark blood red Cero. _Damn he's fast, _Grimmjow thought.

"Getsuga…Tensho," the Hollow says, releasing a wave of spirit energy that slashes the Cero in half. Using Sonido, Grimmjow appears a few feet away, and then immediately the Hollow is there. Grinning maliciously, he says, "Ichigo may have had a hard time with you, but I don't. Hurry up and release your sword before I get bored."

"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me what to do!" he snarls, leaping back a few yards. Positioning his sword, Grimmjow begins his release, "Grind…" and then a hand stops him. Glancing up, his eyes met Ulquiorra's.

"Sheathe your sword, Grimmjow," he says calmly. Turning to the Hollow, he asks, "You look like the soul reaper I defeated. Those eyes and that Spiritual Pressure, though, belong to an Arrancar. Not just an Arrancar, an Espada. Tell me, who are you?"

For a moment, there's silence. Then the figure answers, "I am Zangetsu."

"Bullshit," Grimmjow shouted. "Ichigo's bankai is Tensa Zangetsu. How can his zanpakto be a Hollow?"

"Zangetsu and I became one," he replies calmly. "The more Ichigo began to depend on his swords power, the easier it was for me to take control. And now I have taken control. Thanks to you, Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer." He points a finger at him and grins. Before Ulquiorra can respond, he adds, "You stabbed him in the chest with your hand where your own hole is," he gestures at the small one in his chest, "and left. Because you weakened him, it allowed me to finally defeat him and take over."

Thrusting out his blade, Zangetsu declares in a loud, clear voice, "Bankai." His already immense Spiritual Pressure explodes to even greater heights. The surrounding terrain seems to explode and collapse under the weight of it. Ulquiorra quickly takes Orihime to a nearby tower using Sonido, and then reappears by Grimmjow's side.

"Looks like this is going to be one hell of a fight," Grimmjow says.

"Indeed. I was on way to find you, but I never imagined this is what I'd find," Ulquiorra says, drawing his own sword. "This is going to be quite troublesome, even with two Espada." Glancing at Grimmjow, he adds, "I suggest you release your sword now, Grimmjow."

The sand dissipates to reveal Zangetsu wearing Tensa Zangetsu's uniform. Purely white, and the sword, blade and all, white except for the hilt guard and hilt itself. He also wore a mask. Unlike Ichigo's Hollowfication mask, this one is different. It completely covers his head, and has two horns.

Quickly understanding the situation, Grimmjow slaps his hand onto his blade. The blade glowing blue, he slides his hand down it quickly and declares, "Grind, Pantera!" The instant he does, Zangetsu leaps into the air. Ulquiorra is the one who goes to meet him.

"What's with the Hollow mask?" he asks. Zangetsu doesn't answer, and charges a flame like Cero between his horns. Ulquiorra's eyes widen in surprise as he's hit point blank with a Cero. Grimmjow leaps forward, now in his Resurreccion state, and soars towards him.

Ulquiorra leaps back, charging a dark green Cero at the end of his fingertip and then releases it. Grimmjow thrusts a palm forward and releases his own. The two Cero combine as they soar at the Hollow.

To both of their surprise, Zangetsu merely holds out a palm. The combined Cero crash against his palm with the strength of a nuclear bomb, the ground around him exploding, except for a small bit surrounding him. He doesn't even seem to feel the power in it. "Is this really the best you two can do?" he asks and then, using Sonido, appears behind Grimmjow and slams it into his back,

Grimmjow screams out in pain and Ulquiorra twirls around in surprise. The moment he does, Zangetsu is standing right there, his sword slashing down Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra's Hierro doesn't do anything to protect him. A huge wave of blood bursts free, splattering Zangetsu. Within moments, both the Sexta and Cuarto Espada drop to the ground, fatally wounded. "Release your sword, and you might have a chance. If you don't, I will kill you." Ulquiorra sensed no lie in his words.

_Damn it, _he thought. Slowly getting to his feet, he was about to take to the air when a soul reaper appeared.

"L-lord Aizen?" Grimmjow managed to mutter.

He stood there unwavering, seeming to have already known what had happened. "Yes, Grimmjow. Thank you two for stalling him for so long, and even testing his abilities," Aizen replies. Turning to face Zangetsu, he says, "So you're the Hollow that's been within the ryoka boy." There's a small smirk on his face as he faces the new Hollow. "I'm sure you already know who I am, but I'll tell you anyway. I'm Aizen, Sosuke Aizen."

"Yeah, I know you," the Hollow replies for the first time since performing bankai. "It doesn't make any difference to me. I'm free, and intend to destroy everything that stands in my way."

"I'm not here to stand in your way. I want you to join me. I'm planning to destroy the Soul Society. You'll have the chance to battle the captain who _you_ didn't manage to defeat when you were in the Soul Society. Captain of Sixth Company, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Zangetsu remembered. That soul reaper who Ichigo was having such a difficult time defeating. "You're saying I'll get another chance to fight him if I join you?" he asks.

"You might get another chance. Join me, and I'll make you much stronger than you are now," Aizen says.

_Chapter #2_

_Zangetsu vs. Byakuya_

Zangetsu stands outside Los Noches, detecting many Spiritual Pressures throughout Hueco Mundo. "You can sense it, can't you?" a mocking voice says. Glancing behind him, he sees the Quinta Espada, Nnoitora. "Soul reapers are here, in our world. We can crush all of them if we act quickly."

Garbed in the Arrancar uniform, Zangetsu watches him for a moment before saying, "I don't need your help. You're only five, Nnoitora. I can handle all of them myself." Without another word, he disappears using Sonido. He reappears miles away, close to Rukia's brother.

"There you are, Soul Reaper," he says when he finally finds Byakuya. His eyes don't rise in surprise, but there is a slight fear in them. "Last time, we didn't manage to finish our battle. Ichigo got in the way, though he did beat you." Drawing his sword, he adds, "Now, let's finish ours."

Aiming a finger at him, Byakuya says, "Bakudo sixty-one, Six Rod Light Restraint." As the Kido begins to form around the Espada, he vanishes. "Scatter," Byakuya says, sensing his spirit energy, "Senbon Zakura." His blade bursts into flower petals and swirls behind him.

"I see that you are a hollow," he says, turning around. "Aizen must've turned you into an Arrancar once you took over Ichigo's body. You seem quite strong, so I won't go easy on you, even if Ichigo is still in there somewhere." With a twirl of his hand, the petals soar towards Zangetsu.

"Getsuga Tensho," he says and swings his sword. The wave of hardened spirit energy slashes through the pink wave, heading directly towards the Soul Reaper captain.

"Bakudo one, Danku." A large, square shield appears before him. But, to his surprise, the Getsuga Tensho breaks through it with incredible ease. He barely manages to avoid getting his left arm slashed off. Zangetsu appears before him, smiling wildly, and thrusts forward. Using the petals, he pushes the blade away, and prepares to perform another Kido. But then Zangetsu thrusts out a fist, and a dark black sphere crackles into formation with a blood red outline to it. _Cero, _Byakuya thought, preparing to use Shunpo.

The moment he does, his enemy uses Sonido. And the moment he reappears, the Cero hits him full, head on in the chest. He cringes in pain and, with a small gesture of his palm; his Senbon Zakura completely encircles Zangetsu. Once the deadly blast stops, Byakuya closes his fist, and the sphere shrinks dramatically.

"You're pretty good." Byakuya twirls around, and then a white blade slashes threw him with ease. "But I'm tired of fighting you with just your shikai. Release your bankai, Soul Reaper, and fight me with full strength." Using the hilts wrap, he begins twirling the sword wildly, and eventually throws it at him.

"You might be strong, but there is no reason for me to perform bankai against you," he says calmly. "You're not strong enough, let alone worthy enough, to witness my bankai." Holding out an arm, the petals slowly begin to return into sword form. "Hado four, byaku rai." A small stream of white lightning bursts from his finger tip, soaring at the Hollow.

"Spare me with your pathetic Kido." Zangetsu merely holds out a hand, and the Kido smashes into it. But it doesn't pierce him. It simply…vanishes. Byakuya's eyes widen in slight surprise. "Kido doesn't work against me, Soul Reaper. If you won't release your bankai willingly, then I simply have to force you to release it." Appearing before him, Zangetsu thrusts forward. As Byakuya dodges, his Hollow enemy smiles and says, "Bankai."

The sudden explosion of energy shreds Byakuya's captain uniform, and shoves him back a few yards. _Bankai? _he thought questioningly. _What kind of Hollow has bankai? They have their Resurreccion._

As the dust settles, Byakuya sees the answer. "I see. You share the same bankai with Ichigo Kurosaki. I know the strength he had when he released it the last time we fought, when you took control of him then. Guess you succeeded in making me release. Bankai," he says, releasing his sword. His zanpakto disappears into the ground, and a hall of large blades appears behind him. "Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi." As soon as he says that, the blades completely disappear and become a hundred million cherry blossom flower petals.

"About time. Now _I _can release my own shikai." The flower petals seem to stop as Byakuya glances at him in surprise. "I am a Hollow, and Zangetsu. But Zangetsu was once the original center of Ichigo's spirit energy. Neither Ichigo nor he realized I have my own zanpakto. It comes from Zangetsu himself. Now I can finally fight without restraint." Holding out the thin white blade, the air temperature suddenly falls dramatically. The skies and surrounding area grows dark as he says, "Warp the world, Modulo de Oscuridad que fluye. (Flowing Darkness Blade)." The blade suddenly erupts into blackness, flowing freely and nothing holding it back. The darkness wraps around the blade, overflowing from it.

"What kind of zanpakto is that?" Byakuya asks, trembling slightly. _What is this I'm feeling? The moment he released that sword, everything seemed to lose its warmth. I can't detect any joy, happiness or anything like that. All I can sense is sorrow…and hate._

"This is my own zanpakto, Modulo de Oscuridad que fluye. Among all the Espada, I have the most feared blade. I'm sure you can sense why it's so dreadful." There isn't any joy in his voice, either. Nothing but…emptiness. "I am the Cero Espada, Zangetsu Oscuridad."

Then he swings his sword. Acting on his instinct, the Soul Reaper raises the petals to defend him. The darkness wrapped around the sword rips through all of them and slashes through the fabric on his torso. But the darkness doesn't cut him. Not physically. As soon as it touches his flesh, he feels his own Spiritual Pressure fall immensely and a sudden sense of loneliness.

"Can you understand?"

"Yes," Byakuya manages to whisper. "That darkness doesn't cut your opponents flesh. It cuts the soul, the spirit. Not only that, it can consume spirit energy. What a dangerous sword to have." Byakuya's legs give out and he falls to his knees, panting. "But I'm sure there's still more to your zanpakto's abilities then this." He slowly tries to get back on his feet, and a after a few moments, manages it.

"You're correct. There is more to what it can do. For example," Zangetsu says. He plunges his own sword into the darkness surrounding him and says, "Rasga de Oscuridad." Four dark blades appear around Byakuya and slash at him. He cringes as in pain and terror as they actually cut him this time. But as they do, he feels himself getting weaker more quickly.

Panting heavily, Byakuya manages to say, "Gokei. Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi." His entire bankai engulfs Zangetsu in a wide sphere. _D-damn it, _he thought. _That sword is incredibly malicious. Not only does it consume my own spirit energy and my own feelings, it can cut me. And on top of that, its effects are even stronger when it does cut._

Then, the sphere explodes and implodes, striking at Zangetsu from every direction. _D-damn…it, _Byakuya thought, still sensing the overwhelming Spiritual Pressure. _That zanpakto of his…it isn't fair. _He slowly tries getting to his feet when a black whip wraps his legs together. Then suddenly it yanks his legs from under him and he falls onto his back.

"El latigo de la Oscuridad (Whip of Darkness.)" Zangetsu stands before him, the dark blade pouring out even more darkness. "You never stood a chance against me, Soul Reaper." He then stops, and looks around. _There's another Soul Reaper around here? His Spiritual Pressure is quite familiar as well…_

Using Sonido, he vanishes as a katana swings right by where he was standing.

_Chapter #3_

_Arrival of Kenpachi Zaraki_

Kenpachi, the Captain of eleventh company, stands directly beside Byakuya with an amused smile. "You dodged my slash easily enough. Your ability to detect Spiritual Pressure seems to be better than Ichigo's." Then he glances down at Byakuya. "Humph. I always thought you were stronger than this. Get out of here, now. Get in my way, Byakuya Kuchiki, and I'll kill you."

He leaps towards Zangetsu with a broad smile on his face. The blade of his zanpakto pulses as gold-yellow spirit energy surrounds it. With brute strength, he swings it in a violent motion. "Las llamas Ardiente de la Oscuridad (Blazing Flames of Darkness)." Dark black flames explode around him and quickly drain the spirit energy from his blade. Surprised by the sudden attack, Kenpachi loses momentum and Zangetsu grabs his blade. "Kenpachi Zaraki," Zangetsu says. "I watched Ichigo fight you in the Soul Society. I'm glad I get to fight you. But…I want to fight you without using my own shikai."

With a single gesture, he seals his own swords release for the time being. "Let's have some time," they say in unison and swing. The blades collide with a deafening roar and the sand around them explodes under the ferocity of it. Kenpachi grabs him by the collar and yanks him forward. Acting on instinct, the Hollow lashes out with his leg. He successfully kicks Kenpachi in the side. He doesn't even seem to feel it as he raises his own sword.

Zangetsu thrusts out a hand, barely an inch from his face and charges a Cero. _FUCK! _Kenpachi thought, using Shunpo to disappear. But it doesn't help him escape the Espada's Pesquisa. He swings his arm far to the right and releases a dark red Cero with a black outline.

The moment he reappears, Kenpachi swings his sword and temporarily stops the Cero. But it's slowly pushing him back, centimeter by centimeter. And then, to his horror, his enemy says, "Getsuga Tensho." A wave of energy comes soaring at him. Acting quickly, he sends a vertical wave of spirit energy slashing the Cero in half, and quickly turns to slash the Getsuga Tensho apart. As he does, Zangetsu appears and thrusts forward. Quickly dodging, Kenpachi grabs the zanpakto and kicks at him. But this time, as Zangetsu thrusts out his palm, he hits the Soul Reaper with a hardened Bala.

The sudden attack sends him skittering back a few yards. "Try taking your eye patch off. I know it's to help you enjoy fighting, but we can both enjoy this more if you're fighting me with full strength." He swings his sword and a barrage of Bala fly at him.

"Your right, I guess," Kenpachi says, dodging them with a quick, short distanced Shunpo. He removes the eye patch and a huge pillar of dark yellow-gold Spiritual Pressure engulfs him. Everything around them seems to crackle under the ferocity and sheer weight of his Spiritual Pressure.

_That's more like it, _the Hollow thought. He holds onto the hilt with both hands, properly positioned for kendo. He appears before Kenpachi and they attack at the same instance. For miles around them the ground seems to explode and cave, as if a nuclear bomb had gone off. Each time they exchange blows, the terrain explodes and they grin in pure pleasure.

"This is…fantastic!" Kenpachi bellows swing a wide, over hand arch. Zangetsu parries easily, and then the blade surges towards his chest. "I haven't had this much damn fun in so long! Don't you dare die on me too soon!" The Arrancar grabs the sword and slashes Kenpachi diagonally up from his left hip to right shoulder blade.

"That's my line, Soul Reaper!" Zangetsu cackles. "I haven't let loose like this in so long, it's indescribable!" Blood splatters him from head to toe, and Kenpachi's smile, if possible, grows even broader. He leaps back and sends two waves of spirit energy flying at him. "Getsuga Tensho!" A horizontal wave of hardened spirit energy slashes the gold ones in half.

Appearing before each other, they slam their fists together and the very ground beneath their feet implodes. As they do that, their blades lash out blindly and quickly. The constant onslaught destroys everything around them, and the echoes of their Spiritual Pressure can be felt from more than ten miles away. As Kenpachi slashes Zangetsu's shoulder open, Zangetsu delivers a vicious blow to his stomach. Quickly the sand around them is soaked and stained with their blood. Neither of them are panting, nor show any sign of tiring.

Byakuya watches in astonishment as the barbaric Captain fights on par with the Espada who so easily defeated him. _I feel like I'm watching a fight between two predators, attacking each other yet not causing enough injury to fatally wound or kill. They're savoring this, _he thought.

Leaping back, they both just meet eyes for a few moments. "Damn, Soul Reaper. Your one tough bastard. You still haven't called upon your zanpakto yet. We can continue fighting like this for days and not kill one another." He tightens his grip around the hilt of his sword and adds, "Let's just say it. Enough feeling each other up. It's time we took this battle to the next level. And don't you dare say you haven't achieved shikai, at least. Unlike Ichigo, I know you have communicated with your zanpakto. You're holding back. Time to release."

Grinning, Kenpachi says, "You're a sneaky little bastard. I have only just recently learned my zanpakto's name. I do have shikai, but I'm enjoying this too much. If I release my sword, I might end up killing you too quickly." His eyes hardening, he says, "Maybe you should release your Resurreccion. Depending on your Spiritual Pressure, I'll consider releasing."

Zangetsu smirks playfully and whispers, "Interesting." Swinging his zanpakto high into the sky, the blade casts a shadow as it hits the moonlight. "Descend from the skies and strike down my enemies…Bestia Luna Fanged celestial (Heavenly Moon-Fanged Beast."

His zanpakto erupted in bursts of dark black with a blood red and moon pale outline. A shockwave explodes outward from him, knocking Kenpachi back a few yards. His incredibly powerfully immense Spiritual Pressure surges higher than ever. Every bone in Byakuya's body is creaking under the weight of it. Weakened from Zangetsu's shikai abilities, he soon loses consciousness. _What marvelous Spiritual Pressure, _Kenpachi thought in wonder. _He's been holding back this much power? Damn him. If I don't release my own shikai, I most likely will die. _As the sand and air calms, his eyes widen in surprise.

Zangetsu stands before him, wearing a strange uniform. No shirt, revealing small, serrated fang like horns jutting from his body, mostly his arms. There's an immense aura surrounding him. His entire mouth is full of pale fangs. His hands are clawed, and he has a Zero tattooed on his left side. His eyes are empty sockets of pure darkness. Strange markings are on his palms. Kenpachi can't identify them, nor does he care. There's no sign of a mask or anything. There are long, pale curved horns on his head and jet-black streaks going down his face.

"Well?" An instant, ice cold shiver creeps down his spine as Zangetsu speaks. His voice is like falling into a never ending pit of darkness, void of nothing except loneliness, and emptiness. "This is my Resurreccion. My true power and true form. Are you prepared to release your shikai, Soul Reaper?"

"I've never met anyone as powerful as you are, Arrancar. I'm glad I finally met a foe worthy of fighting at full strength with." The bloodlust returns to his eyes as he makes a small gash on his arm. "Fight to kill…Asesino brutal (Barbaric Killer.)" His entire body seems to explode like a golden pillar of spirit energy.

The pillar soars high into the sky and then comes crashing down in true form. Kenpachi grins as Zangetsu eyes him warily. "What an intriguing shikai you have, Soul Reaper."

_Chapter #4_

_Battle of the Beasts_

Kenpachi stands before him, wearing the skins of Hollows. His zanpakto has changed, as well. Double edged, completely serrated, and with more Hollow skins, this time as a hilt wrap. There's no hilt guard, just a small dent separating blade from hilt.

His scarred and bleeding body is now garbed in a Soul Reaper uniform made entirely of skin. He grins at Zangetsu and says, "I only achieved this release a little while ago. I can't control it very well yet. But I can still fight on par with you, at least."

"Is that so, Zaraki Kenpachi?" his opponent chuckles. "Let's put it to the test then." Faster than a heartbeat, the blade clashes with the Arrancars palm and a shower of sparks bursts to the sides. Extending a single finger, he adds, "Gran Rey Cero."

A massive Cero surges from his fingertip within seconds, completely engulfing the Soul Reaper. _Is this really the end of this Soul Reaper? _Zangetsu thought to himself. _I doubt it. Heh, cocky bastard. Trying to hide his full abilities from me. I'll force him to reveal them._

As he prepares to release another Cero, a sudden wave of gold spirit energy blasts through the Cero. Quickly he crushes it with his hand, and then Kenpachi is beside him, slightly burned. "That was a powerful Cero, Espada. But you can't kill me with something like that."

As he swings his zanpakto again, Zangetsu notices he's wielding another blade, as well. It's a dark black katana with a golden hilt guard, shaped like interlocking blades in a circle. It has a single serrated edge, and the blade itself looks serrated. _Why didn't I notice the second blade before? _he thought. As he raises his arm, there's a slight pain as he's cut.

Taking two large steps back, he examines his wound, and Kenpachi's blade. Now he notices the original blade, which had been double sided, wasn't like that now. It had a single edge. _So that's where the second blade had come from, _he thought. _But…why's he have two? He could've used both at the same time and inflicted more damage._

Holding out a hand to the side, he says, "Espada Luna fanged," and a sword appears. It's completely pale, just like the moon, and the blade resembles the fang of a beast. _In Resurreccion, my Getsuga Tensho is at its most powerful. I'll use it to see why he doesn't attack with both. _A dark black and red aura engulf the blade and he snarls, "Getsuga Tensho!" sending the wave hurtling towards his opponent with incredible speed. And using Sonido appears a few feet to Kenpachi's left, releasing another Cero.

This time, Kenpachi swings his left arm, and the Getsuga Tensho seems to get swallowed into the sword. And, turning to the Cero, he thrusts the same blade forward and releases a massive amount of spirit energy ripping through it. "What a convenient ability you have, Soul Reaper," Zangetsu says, watching him warily as he faces him.

"Your right sword is capable of inflicting physical injury, as far as I know. Your left sword, on the other hand, literally, seems to have the ability to absorb attacks with spirit energy. Once you absorb it, you can break it down and convert it into a blast of your own energy." A nagging thought pops into his head then. _If both blades are capable of doing something different, yet similar alone, then the single form…_

"Seems you figured out a bit of my ability. Quite observant, but I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Espada. You only used that wave attack and the Cero to confirm what you assumed. But I'll let you in on something. My left blade…doesn't always use _all _the spirit energy it absorbs." A broad smile appears on his face as he swings his blade and says, "Barra de illuminacion demoledor de la Tierra (Earth Shattering Lightning Slash)!"and sends a wave of lightning rushing towards him, ripping the very ground under it open. Zangetsu thrusts out his blade and releases a Getsuga Tensho blast to counter Kenpachi. The two attacks collide with the force of a thousand Gran Rey Ceros. But in seconds, the Getsuga Tensho blast disappears and quickly the slash surges towards him. At the last second, he uses Sonido to appear a few yards to Kenpachi's left.

"Damn it. Your left sword can also absorb spirit energy based attacks with your own. But, if you don't release it all, then what happens when it reaches the breaking point?" He opens his hand, each finger spread, and a small) sphere of energy appears at each tip. "Destruccion (destruction), calamidad (calamity), Odio (hate), rabia (rage), dolor (pain)."

He clenched each finger as he said them, slowly getting bigger in the process. "Let's see you absorb this, Soul Reaper. One of my own, most powerful abilities that I've been forbidden to use within Los Noches, let alone in Resurreccion. This attack makes the Gran Rey Cero look like a feather blowing in the breeze." He closes his hand for a few moments, and then reopens it.

An immensely dark, jet black sphere appears in his extended palm. Using his left hand, he places it on his wrist and steadies his feet. "Luna fanged rayo de Dios (Moon-fanged God lightning strike)." The sphere blasts towards Kenpachi with such sheer force that it creates a crater three miles deep and four miles wide.

_God damn, _Kenpachi thought, feeling the sheer force in the blast. _If I can't contain all this spirit energy…I'll die for sure. Got to release all the energy I have already, and that isn't much as it. _He thrusts his left arm forward and releases a blast of energy that'd be impressive if not compared to the blast rushing at him. It disintegrates in seconds, and then…collision.

Kenpachi is hit with the power of every single bomb ever made, trying to absorb all the energy into his zanpakto. The terrain around him explodes and caves in on itself. Slowly but gradually, he begins to get pushed back. "Damn…it…all!" he growls, repositioning his feet and pushing his blade into the attack.

"You really think you can handle all this spirit energy? Here! Have some more then!" Suddenly, the blasts power surges up to an even greater height, so powerful that the top of Los Noches begins to crack and all that can be heard is the deafening roar of Zangetsu's attack.

Kenpachi glances at his sword, and sees a fracture beginning to form from the pressure and constant flow of energy. Kenpachi shivers as he realizes he won't be able to absorb it all. _If I keep absorbing this, my shikai's second edge will shatter and my shikai will be useless. The only thing left to do is…take it head on. _Sighing and mentally preparing himself, he swings his blade away and lets the blast strike him full, head on.

He lets out a deafening, barbaric howl of pain and doesn't stop until the blast slowly subsides. For miles around them, there is a gigantic, deep crater radiating spirit energy. The sky is cracked so much that one more Gran Rey Cero would surely break it.

Zangetsu appears on the ground, hidden amongst the sand still lingering in the air. But that doesn't stop him from finding Kenpachi, lying on the ground. His body is so torn and ripped it's almost impossible to tell it's really a man. Bits of skin, flesh and bone are scattered everywhere. Kenpachi no longer had his blade released. It was sealed again.

"You were a decent opponent, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. Thanks to you, I was able to let loose and test my abilities without restraint. Despite being hit with one of my strongest and most forbidden techniques, you're still alive and still, mostly, in one piece. But you're close to death. If you die, then die knowing I consider you a truly worthy opponent. If you don't die, then live, live and fight me another day, when you're at full strength once again.

_Chapter #5:_

_Zangetsu's Rebellion_

On his way back to the confines of Los Noches, Zangetsu senses a large amount of spirit energy coming towards him. In his sealed state once again, he waits a few moments, and two Espada appear before. The Quinta Espada, Nnoitora, and the Sexta Espada, Grimmjow. Grimmjow seems wary about being near him; Nnoitora seems intrigued. "Well, well, Zangetsu. You really fucked up now. All of us could feel the echoes of your battle," Nnoitora says with a slight smirk. "We also know you used one of your forbidden abilities. Lord Aizen is most…displeased with you. He wants to see you, now."

"We've been ordered to take you to by force if we need too," Grimmjow adds, hand twitching to his zanpakto. "Knowing you…we don't know what you'll do. We know you're weak right now, though."

With a slight smirk, and in the blink of an eye, Zangetsu appears behind them, a deep gash across Grimmjow's chest, blood spluttering out. Both the Espada glance at him in surprise. "You fool. If Aizen was serious about punishing me, he wouldn't have sent you two. Or, to be more accurate, he wouldn't have sent _just _you two." Slowly, he draws his zanpakto and turns to face them. "Even in my weakened state, I'm still strong enough to take you two on."

Quickly, Nnoitora swings his giant scythe into the air, but before he can begin his release declaration, Zangetsu slashes him across the chest and, aiming a palm at him at point blank range, releases a Cero. Grimmjow leaps back and quickly positions his blade. "Grind…" he begins, but doesn't get any father. Zangetsu hits him with the Getsuga Tensho.

_Sosuke Aizen considers these weak fools to be worthy of their ranks? Tsk. He wouldn't know a real Hollow if it was right before his eyes. I'm not even at my strongest and managed to defeat these two within moments. Pathetic. But…I can devour them to raise my own Spiritual Pressure. I have a feeling I'll be needing my full strength._

Nearly an hour has passed, and there isn't the slightest sign either Nnoitora or Grimmjow had been here. Zangetsu was at full power once again, and just ever so slightly stronger. In the distance, he could feel Spiritual Pressures clashing, but didn't bother going to them. He knew they'd eventually come to him.

Getting to his feet, he uses Sonido and appears within Los Noches, his own palace within it. Sensing not even the slightest hint of spirit energy, he suppresses and lowers his own before lying down in his bed to have a rest…

When he wakes up, the Tercera Espada was sitting at the edge of his bed. "About time you wake up, Zangetsu," Halibel says calmly. "Lord Aizen, Gin and Tosen told us what you've done. Nnoitora and Grimmjow, you ate them, didn't you?"

"What if I did? Are you going to eat me to avenge them?" his tone is mocking, but playful at the same time. He fancies her.

"No, I will not. But I can't be so sure of the others. Especially Barragan. He might just kill you," she says, and then meets his eyes. A light crackling sensation sweeps across his skin, and he can see Halibel felt it too. Slowly and gently, she slides into the bed on top of him. "I know you've wanted me, Zangetsu, for a long time now. I'm not sure how I felt then, but I want you now." She unzips her top, and tosses it aside.

As she does, Zangetsu leans up and gently kisses her.

Nearly an hour later, Zangetsu leaves a sleeping Halibel and steps outside. He doesn't hide his Spiritual Pressure this time. He lets it roam free, and instantly he can feel the other Espada, even Tosen, coming for him. _Heh, _he thought with a sneer. _This should be quite interesting._

Within moments, only three Espada stand before him. The Segundo Espada Barragan, the Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra and the Primera Espada Stark. "Zangetsu, you've disobeyed orders by Aizen," Ulquiorra states, watching him carefully. "He is most unpleased by your actions. We've been given orders to bring you before him for punishment by any means necessary."

"Ulquiorra," Zangetsu says, "you know you lack sufficient power to stop me. None of you can stop me without disobeying orders." His smirk grows as they understand his words. "I don't care to follow him anymore. I've achieved my goal of fighting that Shinigami. Now, I no longer have any need to stay here. Be gone." He takes a step forward and then a hand grabs his shoulder.

"You little punk ass youngster," Barragan growls. "Listen, newbie, you have no power here. You do not speak like that to me. Do you—" he gets cut off as Zangetsu punches him in the face. Stumbling back in surprise, he grabs for the wall. Before he can, Zangetsu slashes him across the chest deeply in the blink of an eye.

"Like I said, Barragan, you have insufficient power to stop me. But you're an annoying Espada." Zangetsu thrusts out a palm, a white and blue sphere beginning to form as he gathers spirit energy into it. And before Barragan or the others react, he's hit with a Cero at point-blank range.

Quickly, Zangetsu swings his zanpakto, a Getsuga Tensho wrapped around it as Ulquiorra fires a Cero at him. He parries the blow with ease, and then an ax comes swinging at his chest. _Fool, _he thought. He grabs the ax and stops it, dead in its path.

Using Sonido, he appears behind the second Espada and uses him as a body shield. He himself uses his ax to block the Cero, and then swings a wrinkled, old fist at Zangetsu…only to get a deep slash down his arm. He growls and then a Bala soars past him. Backhanding it, it flies to the side and nearly hits Stark, who hasn't joined the fight.

To Zangetsu's surprise, Ulquiorra draws his own zanpakto. "Aizen will forgive us for releasing Resurreccion. As I said, we're here to capture you by any means necessary. And obviously, Resurreccion is required," he says, and leaps back a few feet, and then disappears. He reappears on a pillar, directly within the moonlight. Barragan and Stark appear at the foot of the pillar. But, Stark uses the seriousness of the situation to slip away. Holding out his zanpakto directly in front of him, blade held down by his side, Ulquiorra whispers his release, "Enclose, Murcielago." A green aura with a black interior engulfs him, and a green rain-like substance falls from the sky.

Barragan lets his ax slide upside down and declares his release, "Rot, Arrognate." A blood red eye opens in the middle of it and a dark purple fog leaks out, surrounding and engulfing him._ This should be interesting. Three Espada, two in Resurreccion, fighting all out in Los Noches. Wonder how long before Aizen realizes that's a mistake, _Zangetsu thought.


	2. Chapter 2: Zangetsu vs Byakuya

_The Hollow Takes Control:_

_Chronicles of Ichigo Kurosaki_

On the verge of death, after being defeated by the Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra in the tower on his way to save Rukia, Ichigo fell into his inner world. Waiting for him there, is his Hollow. With a smirk, he says, "I didn't expect to see you here so soon, King. I thought you were stronger than this. But I warned you, Ichigo." Using Shunpo, the Hollow stabs Ichigo in the chest.

Ichigo can't even react in time to avoid the blow. "Look at that. You can't even defend yourself. You really are pathetic. You are no longer the King. _I _am," he cackles. At long last, his inner Hollows Spiritual Pressure surges free. Unable to repress it, unable to resist or do anything, Ichigo just watches as his world come crumbling down. "Don't worry, Kurosaki. Those girls you wanted to save? I'll make sure to do it." Just like that, the Hollow vanishes, finally freed at last.

In the tower within Los Noches, the body of Ichigo rises. A white substances burst from his mouth and the hole in his chest seems to shrink, just a little. His dark brown eyes, warm yet fierce, become cold and frightening. The whites in his eyes go black and the brown turns into a dark gold like color. The white substance completely covers his body.

All throughout Los Noches, soul reapers and Arrancars feel the transformation. On his way to revive him, Grimmjow and Orihime are the first ones to arrive. "Ichigo!" she cries once Grimmjow lets her go. She tries running to his side, but Grimmjow holds her back.

"Who the hell are you?" Grimmjow growls, reaching for his zanpakto. The Hollow glances at him and grins. A huge explosion of Spiritual Pressure blasts both of them out. The tower crumbles down to the ground and the transformation finally ends.

A paler version of Ichigo stands in the air, wielding a snow white Zangetsu. "You want to know who I am, Espada?" the figure cackles. His voice is demented and mocking, full of pure menace. "I am the King of this body. I am the strongest!" Using Sonido, he brings the sword down his side, slashing him open. Grimmjow pushes Orihime out of the way and leaps back the moment the Hollow stops. He draws his sword and thrusts out a palm, releasing a dark blood red Cero. _Damn he's fast, _Grimmjow thought.

"Getsuga…Tensho," the Hollow says, releasing a wave of spirit energy that slashes the Cero in half. Using Sonido, Grimmjow appears a few feet away, and then immediately the Hollow is there. Grinning maliciously, he says, "Ichigo may have had a hard time with you, but I don't. Hurry up and release your sword before I get bored."

"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me what to do!" he snarls, leaping back a few yards. Positioning his sword, Grimmjow begins his release, "Grind…" and then a hand stops him. Glancing up, his eyes met Ulquiorra's.

"Sheathe your sword, Grimmjow," he says calmly. Turning to the Hollow, he asks, "You look like the soul reaper I defeated. Those eyes and that Spiritual Pressure, though, belong to an Arrancar. Not just an Arrancar, an Espada. Tell me, who are you?"

For a moment, there's silence. Then the figure answers, "I am Zangetsu."

"Bullshit," Grimmjow shouted. "Ichigo's bankai is Tensa Zangetsu. How can his zanpakto be a Hollow?"

"Zangetsu and I became one," he replies calmly. "The more Ichigo began to depend on his swords power, the easier it was for me to take control. And now I have taken control. Thanks to you, Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer." He points a finger at him and grins. Before Ulquiorra can respond, he adds, "You stabbed him in the chest with your hand where your own hole is," he gestures at the small one in his chest, "and left. Because you weakened him, it allowed me to finally defeat him and take over."

Thrusting out his blade, Zangetsu declares in a loud, clear voice, "Bankai." His already immense Spiritual Pressure explodes to even greater heights. The surrounding terrain seems to explode and collapse under the weight of it. Ulquiorra quickly takes Orihime to a nearby tower using Sonido, and then reappears by Grimmjow's side.

"Looks like this is going to be one hell of a fight," Grimmjow says.

"Indeed. I was on way to find you, but I never imagined this is what I'd find," Ulquiorra says, drawing his own sword. "This is going to be quite troublesome, even with two Espada." Glancing at Grimmjow, he adds, "I suggest you release your sword now, Grimmjow."

The sand dissipates to reveal Zangetsu wearing Tensa Zangetsu's uniform. Purely white, and the sword, blade and all, white except for the hilt guard and hilt itself. He also wore a mask. Unlike Ichigo's Hollowfication mask, this one is different. It completely covers his head, and has two horns.

Quickly understanding the situation, Grimmjow slaps his hand onto his blade. The blade glowing blue, he slides his hand down it quickly and declares, "Grind, Pantera!" The instant he does, Zangetsu leaps into the air. Ulquiorra is the one who goes to meet him.

"What's with the Hollow mask?" he asks. Zangetsu doesn't answer, and charges a flame like Cero between his horns. Ulquiorra's eyes widen in surprise as he's hit point blank with a Cero. Grimmjow leaps forward, now in his Resurreccion state, and soars towards him.

Ulquiorra leaps back, charging a dark green Cero at the end of his fingertip and then releases it. Grimmjow thrusts a palm forward and releases his own. The two Cero combine as they soar at the Hollow.

To both of their surprise, Zangetsu merely holds out a palm. The combined Cero crash against his palm with the strength of a nuclear bomb, the ground around him exploding, except for a small bit surrounding him. He doesn't even seem to feel the power in it. "Is this really the best you two can do?" he asks and then, using Sonido, appears behind Grimmjow and slams it into his back,

Grimmjow screams out in pain and Ulquiorra twirls around in surprise. The moment he does, Zangetsu is standing right there, his sword slashing down Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra's Hierro doesn't do anything to protect him. A huge wave of blood bursts free, splattering Zangetsu. Within moments, both the Sexta and Cuarto Espada drop to the ground, fatally wounded. "Release your sword, and you might have a chance. If you don't, I will kill you." Ulquiorra sensed no lie in his words.

_Damn it, _he thought. Slowly getting to his feet, he was about to take to the air when a soul reaper appeared.

"L-lord Aizen?" Grimmjow managed to mutter.

He stood there unwavering, seeming to have already known what had happened. "Yes, Grimmjow. Thank you two for stalling him for so long, and even testing his abilities," Aizen replies. Turning to face Zangetsu, he says, "So you're the Hollow that's been within the ryoka boy." There's a small smirk on his face as he faces the new Hollow. "I'm sure you already know who I am, but I'll tell you anyway. I'm Aizen, Sosuke Aizen."

"Yeah, I know you," the Hollow replies for the first time since performing bankai. "It doesn't make any difference to me. I'm free, and intend to destroy everything that stands in my way."

"I'm not here to stand in your way. I want you to join me. I'm planning to destroy the Soul Society. You'll have the chance to battle the captain who _you_ didn't manage to defeat when you were in the Soul Society. Captain of Sixth Company, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Zangetsu remembered. That soul reaper who Ichigo was having such a difficult time defeating. "You're saying I'll get another chance to fight him if I join you?" he asks.

"You might get another chance. Join me, and I'll make you much stronger than you are now," Aizen says.

_Chapter #2_

_Zangetsu vs. Byakuya_

Zangetsu stands outside Los Noches, detecting many Spiritual Pressures throughout Hueco Mundo. "You can sense it, can't you?" a mocking voice says. Glancing behind him, he sees the Quinta Espada, Nnoitora. "Soul reapers are here, in our world. We can crush all of them if we act quickly."

Garbed in the Arrancar uniform, Zangetsu watches him for a moment before saying, "I don't need your help. You're only five, Nnoitora. I can handle all of them myself." Without another word, he disappears using Sonido. He reappears miles away, close to Rukia's brother.

"There you are, Soul Reaper," he says when he finally finds Byakuya. His eyes don't rise in surprise, but there is a slight fear in them. "Last time, we didn't manage to finish our battle. Ichigo got in the way, though he did beat you." Drawing his sword, he adds, "Now, let's finish ours."

Aiming a finger at him, Byakuya says, "Bakudo sixty-one, Six Rod Light Restraint." As the Kido begins to form around the Espada, he vanishes. "Scatter," Byakuya says, sensing his spirit energy, "Senbon Zakura." His blade bursts into flower petals and swirls behind him.

"I see that you are a hollow," he says, turning around. "Aizen must've turned you into an Arrancar once you took over Ichigo's body. You seem quite strong, so I won't go easy on you, even if Ichigo is still in there somewhere." With a twirl of his hand, the petals soar towards Zangetsu.

"Getsuga Tensho," he says and swings his sword. The wave of hardened spirit energy slashes through the pink wave, heading directly towards the Soul Reaper captain.

"Bakudo one, Danku." A large, square shield appears before him. But, to his surprise, the Getsuga Tensho breaks through it with incredible ease. He barely manages to avoid getting his left arm slashed off. Zangetsu appears before him, smiling wildly, and thrusts forward. Using the petals, he pushes the blade away, and prepares to perform another Kido. But then Zangetsu thrusts out a fist, and a dark black sphere crackles into formation with a blood red outline to it. _Cero, _Byakuya thought, preparing to use Shunpo.

The moment he does, his enemy uses Sonido. And the moment he reappears, the Cero hits him full, head on in the chest. He cringes in pain and, with a small gesture of his palm; his Senbon Zakura completely encircles Zangetsu. Once the deadly blast stops, Byakuya closes his fist, and the sphere shrinks dramatically.

"You're pretty good." Byakuya twirls around, and then a white blade slashes threw him with ease. "But I'm tired of fighting you with just your shikai. Release your bankai, Soul Reaper, and fight me with full strength." Using the hilts wrap, he begins twirling the sword wildly, and eventually throws it at him.

"You might be strong, but there is no reason for me to perform bankai against you," he says calmly. "You're not strong enough, let alone worthy enough, to witness my bankai." Holding out an arm, the petals slowly begin to return into sword form. "Hado four, byaku rai." A small stream of white lightning bursts from his finger tip, soaring at the Hollow.

"Spare me with your pathetic Kido." Zangetsu merely holds out a hand, and the Kido smashes into it. But it doesn't pierce him. It simply…vanishes. Byakuya's eyes widen in slight surprise. "Kido doesn't work against me, Soul Reaper. If you won't release your bankai willingly, then I simply have to force you to release it." Appearing before him, Zangetsu thrusts forward. As Byakuya dodges, his Hollow enemy smiles and says, "Bankai."

The sudden explosion of energy shreds Byakuya's captain uniform, and shoves him back a few yards. _Bankai? _he thought questioningly. _What kind of Hollow has bankai? They have their Resurreccion._

As the dust settles, Byakuya sees the answer. "I see. You share the same bankai with Ichigo Kurosaki. I know the strength he had when he released it the last time we fought, when you took control of him then. Guess you succeeded in making me release. Bankai," he says, releasing his sword. His zanpakto disappears into the ground, and a hall of large blades appears behind him. "Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi." As soon as he says that, the blades completely disappear and become a hundred million cherry blossom flower petals.

"About time. Now _I _can release my own shikai." The flower petals seem to stop as Byakuya glances at him in surprise. "I am a Hollow, and Zangetsu. But Zangetsu was once the original center of Ichigo's spirit energy. Neither Ichigo nor he realized I have my own zanpakto. It comes from Zangetsu himself. Now I can finally fight without restraint." Holding out the thin white blade, the air temperature suddenly falls dramatically. The skies and surrounding area grows dark as he says, "Warp the world, Modulo de Oscuridad que fluye. (Flowing Darkness Blade)." The blade suddenly erupts into blackness, flowing freely and nothing holding it back. The darkness wraps around the blade, overflowing from it.

"What kind of zanpakto is that?" Byakuya asks, trembling slightly. _What is this I'm feeling? The moment he released that sword, everything seemed to lose its warmth. I can't detect any joy, happiness or anything like that. All I can sense is sorrow…and hate._

"This is my own zanpakto, Modulo de Oscuridad que fluye. Among all the Espada, I have the most feared blade. I'm sure you can sense why it's so dreadful." There isn't any joy in his voice, either. Nothing but…emptiness. "I am the Cero Espada, Zangetsu Oscuridad."

Then he swings his sword. Acting on his instinct, the Soul Reaper raises the petals to defend him. The darkness wrapped around the sword rips through all of them and slashes through the fabric on his torso. But the darkness doesn't cut him. Not physically. As soon as it touches his flesh, he feels his own Spiritual Pressure fall immensely and a sudden sense of loneliness.

"Can you understand?"

"Yes," Byakuya manages to whisper. "That darkness doesn't cut your opponents flesh. It cuts the soul, the spirit. Not only that, it can consume spirit energy. What a dangerous sword to have." Byakuya's legs give out and he falls to his knees, panting. "But I'm sure there's still more to your zanpakto's abilities then this." He slowly tries to get back on his feet, and a after a few moments, manages it.

"You're correct. There is more to what it can do. For example," Zangetsu says. He plunges his own sword into the darkness surrounding him and says, "Rasga de Oscuridad." Four dark blades appear around Byakuya and slash at him. He cringes as in pain and terror as they actually cut him this time. But as they do, he feels himself getting weaker more quickly.

Panting heavily, Byakuya manages to say, "Gokei. Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi." His entire bankai engulfs Zangetsu in a wide sphere. _D-damn it, _he thought. _That sword is incredibly malicious. Not only does it consume my own spirit energy and my own feelings, it can cut me. And on top of that, its effects are even stronger when it does cut._

Then, the sphere explodes and implodes, striking at Zangetsu from every direction. _D-damn…it, _Byakuya thought, still sensing the overwhelming Spiritual Pressure. _That zanpakto of his…it isn't fair. _He slowly tries getting to his feet when a black whip wraps his legs together. Then suddenly it yanks his legs from under him and he falls onto his back.

"El latigo de la Oscuridad (Whip of Darkness.)" Zangetsu stands before him, the dark blade pouring out even more darkness. "You never stood a chance against me, Soul Reaper." He then stops, and looks around. _There's another Soul Reaper around here? His Spiritual Pressure is quite familiar as well…_

Using Sonido, he vanishes as a katana swings right by where he was standing.

_Chapter #3_

_Arrival of Kenpachi Zaraki_

Kenpachi, the Captain of eleventh company, stands directly beside Byakuya with an amused smile. "You dodged my slash easily enough. Your ability to detect Spiritual Pressure seems to be better than Ichigo's." Then he glances down at Byakuya. "Humph. I always thought you were stronger than this. Get out of here, now. Get in my way, Byakuya Kuchiki, and I'll kill you."

He leaps towards Zangetsu with a broad smile on his face. The blade of his zanpakto pulses as gold-yellow spirit energy surrounds it. With brute strength, he swings it in a violent motion. "Las llamas Ardiente de la Oscuridad (Blazing Flames of Darkness)." Dark black flames explode around him and quickly drain the spirit energy from his blade. Surprised by the sudden attack, Kenpachi loses momentum and Zangetsu grabs his blade. "Kenpachi Zaraki," Zangetsu says. "I watched Ichigo fight you in the Soul Society. I'm glad I get to fight you. But…I want to fight you without using my own shikai."

With a single gesture, he seals his own swords release for the time being. "Let's have some time," they say in unison and swing. The blades collide with a deafening roar and the sand around them explodes under the ferocity of it. Kenpachi grabs him by the collar and yanks him forward. Acting on instinct, the Hollow lashes out with his leg. He successfully kicks Kenpachi in the side. He doesn't even seem to feel it as he raises his own sword.

Zangetsu thrusts out a hand, barely an inch from his face and charges a Cero. _FUCK! _Kenpachi thought, using Shunpo to disappear. But it doesn't help him escape the Espada's Pesquisa. He swings his arm far to the right and releases a dark red Cero with a black outline.

The moment he reappears, Kenpachi swings his sword and temporarily stops the Cero. But it's slowly pushing him back, centimeter by centimeter. And then, to his horror, his enemy says, "Getsuga Tensho." A wave of energy comes soaring at him. Acting quickly, he sends a vertical wave of spirit energy slashing the Cero in half, and quickly turns to slash the Getsuga Tensho apart. As he does, Zangetsu appears and thrusts forward. Quickly dodging, Kenpachi grabs the zanpakto and kicks at him. But this time, as Zangetsu thrusts out his palm, he hits the Soul Reaper with a hardened Bala.

The sudden attack sends him skittering back a few yards. "Try taking your eye patch off. I know it's to help you enjoy fighting, but we can both enjoy this more if you're fighting me with full strength." He swings his sword and a barrage of Bala fly at him.

"Your right, I guess," Kenpachi says, dodging them with a quick, short distanced Shunpo. He removes the eye patch and a huge pillar of dark yellow-gold Spiritual Pressure engulfs him. Everything around them seems to crackle under the ferocity and sheer weight of his Spiritual Pressure.

_That's more like it, _the Hollow thought. He holds onto the hilt with both hands, properly positioned for kendo. He appears before Kenpachi and they attack at the same instance. For miles around them the ground seems to explode and cave, as if a nuclear bomb had gone off. Each time they exchange blows, the terrain explodes and they grin in pure pleasure.

"This is…fantastic!" Kenpachi bellows swing a wide, over hand arch. Zangetsu parries easily, and then the blade surges towards his chest. "I haven't had this much damn fun in so long! Don't you dare die on me too soon!" The Arrancar grabs the sword and slashes Kenpachi diagonally up from his left hip to right shoulder blade.

"That's my line, Soul Reaper!" Zangetsu cackles. "I haven't let loose like this in so long, it's indescribable!" Blood splatters him from head to toe, and Kenpachi's smile, if possible, grows even broader. He leaps back and sends two waves of spirit energy flying at him. "Getsuga Tensho!" A horizontal wave of hardened spirit energy slashes the gold ones in half.

Appearing before each other, they slam their fists together and the very ground beneath their feet implodes. As they do that, their blades lash out blindly and quickly. The constant onslaught destroys everything around them, and the echoes of their Spiritual Pressure can be felt from more than ten miles away. As Kenpachi slashes Zangetsu's shoulder open, Zangetsu delivers a vicious blow to his stomach. Quickly the sand around them is soaked and stained with their blood. Neither of them are panting, nor show any sign of tiring.

Byakuya watches in astonishment as the barbaric Captain fights on par with the Espada who so easily defeated him. _I feel like I'm watching a fight between two predators, attacking each other yet not causing enough injury to fatally wound or kill. They're savoring this, _he thought.

Leaping back, they both just meet eyes for a few moments. "Damn, Soul Reaper. Your one tough bastard. You still haven't called upon your zanpakto yet. We can continue fighting like this for days and not kill one another." He tightens his grip around the hilt of his sword and adds, "Let's just say it. Enough feeling each other up. It's time we took this battle to the next level. And don't you dare say you haven't achieved shikai, at least. Unlike Ichigo, I know you have communicated with your zanpakto. You're holding back. Time to release."

Grinning, Kenpachi says, "You're a sneaky little bastard. I have only just recently learned my zanpakto's name. I do have shikai, but I'm enjoying this too much. If I release my sword, I might end up killing you too quickly." His eyes hardening, he says, "Maybe you should release your Resurreccion. Depending on your Spiritual Pressure, I'll consider releasing."

Zangetsu smirks playfully and whispers, "Interesting." Swinging his zanpakto high into the sky, the blade casts a shadow as it hits the moonlight. "Descend from the skies and strike down my enemies…Bestia Luna Fanged celestial (Heavenly Moon-Fanged Beast."

His zanpakto erupted in bursts of dark black with a blood red and moon pale outline. A shockwave explodes outward from him, knocking Kenpachi back a few yards. His incredibly powerfully immense Spiritual Pressure surges higher than ever. Every bone in Byakuya's body is creaking under the weight of it. Weakened from Zangetsu's shikai abilities, he soon loses consciousness. _What marvelous Spiritual Pressure, _Kenpachi thought in wonder. _He's been holding back this much power? Damn him. If I don't release my own shikai, I most likely will die. _As the sand and air calms, his eyes widen in surprise.

Zangetsu stands before him, wearing a strange uniform. No shirt, revealing small, serrated fang like horns jutting from his body, mostly his arms. There's an immense aura surrounding him. His entire mouth is full of pale fangs. His hands are clawed, and he has a Zero tattooed on his left side. His eyes are empty sockets of pure darkness. Strange markings are on his palms. Kenpachi can't identify them, nor does he care. There's no sign of a mask or anything. There are long, pale curved horns on his head and jet-black streaks going down his face.

"Well?" An instant, ice cold shiver creeps down his spine as Zangetsu speaks. His voice is like falling into a never ending pit of darkness, void of nothing except loneliness, and emptiness. "This is my Resurreccion. My true power and true form. Are you prepared to release your shikai, Soul Reaper?"

"I've never met anyone as powerful as you are, Arrancar. I'm glad I finally met a foe worthy of fighting at full strength with." The bloodlust returns to his eyes as he makes a small gash on his arm. "Fight to kill…Asesino brutal (Barbaric Killer.)" His entire body seems to explode like a golden pillar of spirit energy.

The pillar soars high into the sky and then comes crashing down in true form. Kenpachi grins as Zangetsu eyes him warily. "What an intriguing shikai you have, Soul Reaper."

_Chapter #4_

_Battle of the Beasts_

Kenpachi stands before him, wearing the skins of Hollows. His zanpakto has changed, as well. Double edged, completely serrated, and with more Hollow skins, this time as a hilt wrap. There's no hilt guard, just a small dent separating blade from hilt.

His scarred and bleeding body is now garbed in a Soul Reaper uniform made entirely of skin. He grins at Zangetsu and says, "I only achieved this release a little while ago. I can't control it very well yet. But I can still fight on par with you, at least."

"Is that so, Zaraki Kenpachi?" his opponent chuckles. "Let's put it to the test then." Faster than a heartbeat, the blade clashes with the Arrancars palm and a shower of sparks bursts to the sides. Extending a single finger, he adds, "Gran Rey Cero."

A massive Cero surges from his fingertip within seconds, completely engulfing the Soul Reaper. _Is this really the end of this Soul Reaper? _Zangetsu thought to himself. _I doubt it. Heh, cocky bastard. Trying to hide his full abilities from me. I'll force him to reveal them._

As he prepares to release another Cero, a sudden wave of gold spirit energy blasts through the Cero. Quickly he crushes it with his hand, and then Kenpachi is beside him, slightly burned. "That was a powerful Cero, Espada. But you can't kill me with something like that."

As he swings his zanpakto again, Zangetsu notices he's wielding another blade, as well. It's a dark black katana with a golden hilt guard, shaped like interlocking blades in a circle. It has a single serrated edge, and the blade itself looks serrated. _Why didn't I notice the second blade before? _he thought. As he raises his arm, there's a slight pain as he's cut.

Taking two large steps back, he examines his wound, and Kenpachi's blade. Now he notices the original blade, which had been double sided, wasn't like that now. It had a single edge. _So that's where the second blade had come from, _he thought. _But…why's he have two? He could've used both at the same time and inflicted more damage._

Holding out a hand to the side, he says, "Espada Luna fanged," and a sword appears. It's completely pale, just like the moon, and the blade resembles the fang of a beast. _In Resurreccion, my Getsuga Tensho is at its most powerful. I'll use it to see why he doesn't attack with both. _A dark black and red aura engulf the blade and he snarls, "Getsuga Tensho!" sending the wave hurtling towards his opponent with incredible speed. And using Sonido appears a few feet to Kenpachi's left, releasing another Cero.

This time, Kenpachi swings his left arm, and the Getsuga Tensho seems to get swallowed into the sword. And, turning to the Cero, he thrusts the same blade forward and releases a massive amount of spirit energy ripping through it. "What a convenient ability you have, Soul Reaper," Zangetsu says, watching him warily as he faces him.

"Your right sword is capable of inflicting physical injury, as far as I know. Your left sword, on the other hand, literally, seems to have the ability to absorb attacks with spirit energy. Once you absorb it, you can break it down and convert it into a blast of your own energy." A nagging thought pops into his head then. _If both blades are capable of doing something different, yet similar alone, then the single form…_

"Seems you figured out a bit of my ability. Quite observant, but I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Espada. You only used that wave attack and the Cero to confirm what you assumed. But I'll let you in on something. My left blade…doesn't always use _all _the spirit energy it absorbs." A broad smile appears on his face as he swings his blade and says, "Barra de illuminacion demoledor de la Tierra (Earth Shattering Lightning Slash)!"and sends a wave of lightning rushing towards him, ripping the very ground under it open. Zangetsu thrusts out his blade and releases a Getsuga Tensho blast to counter Kenpachi. The two attacks collide with the force of a thousand Gran Rey Ceros. But in seconds, the Getsuga Tensho blast disappears and quickly the slash surges towards him. At the last second, he uses Sonido to appear a few yards to Kenpachi's left.

"Damn it. Your left sword can also absorb spirit energy based attacks with your own. But, if you don't release it all, then what happens when it reaches the breaking point?" He opens his hand, each finger spread, and a small) sphere of energy appears at each tip. "Destruccion (destruction), calamidad (calamity), Odio (hate), rabia (rage), dolor (pain)."

He clenched each finger as he said them, slowly getting bigger in the process. "Let's see you absorb this, Soul Reaper. One of my own, most powerful abilities that I've been forbidden to use within Los Noches, let alone in Resurreccion. This attack makes the Gran Rey Cero look like a feather blowing in the breeze." He closes his hand for a few moments, and then reopens it.

An immensely dark, jet black sphere appears in his extended palm. Using his left hand, he places it on his wrist and steadies his feet. "Luna fanged rayo de Dios (Moon-fanged God lightning strike)." The sphere blasts towards Kenpachi with such sheer force that it creates a crater three miles deep and four miles wide.

_God damn, _Kenpachi thought, feeling the sheer force in the blast. _If I can't contain all this spirit energy…I'll die for sure. Got to release all the energy I have already, and that isn't much as it. _He thrusts his left arm forward and releases a blast of energy that'd be impressive if not compared to the blast rushing at him. It disintegrates in seconds, and then…collision.

Kenpachi is hit with the power of every single bomb ever made, trying to absorb all the energy into his zanpakto. The terrain around him explodes and caves in on itself. Slowly but gradually, he begins to get pushed back. "Damn…it…all!" he growls, repositioning his feet and pushing his blade into the attack.

"You really think you can handle all this spirit energy? Here! Have some more then!" Suddenly, the blasts power surges up to an even greater height, so powerful that the top of Los Noches begins to crack and all that can be heard is the deafening roar of Zangetsu's attack.

Kenpachi glances at his sword, and sees a fracture beginning to form from the pressure and constant flow of energy. Kenpachi shivers as he realizes he won't be able to absorb it all. _If I keep absorbing this, my shikai's second edge will shatter and my shikai will be useless. The only thing left to do is…take it head on. _Sighing and mentally preparing himself, he swings his blade away and lets the blast strike him full, head on.

He lets out a deafening, barbaric howl of pain and doesn't stop until the blast slowly subsides. For miles around them, there is a gigantic, deep crater radiating spirit energy. The sky is cracked so much that one more Gran Rey Cero would surely break it.

Zangetsu appears on the ground, hidden amongst the sand still lingering in the air. But that doesn't stop him from finding Kenpachi, lying on the ground. His body is so torn and ripped it's almost impossible to tell it's really a man. Bits of skin, flesh and bone are scattered everywhere. Kenpachi no longer had his blade released. It was sealed again.

"You were a decent opponent, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. Thanks to you, I was able to let loose and test my abilities without restraint. Despite being hit with one of my strongest and most forbidden techniques, you're still alive and still, mostly, in one piece. But you're close to death. If you die, then die knowing I consider you a truly worthy opponent. If you don't die, then live, live and fight me another day, when you're at full strength once again.

_Chapter #5:_

_Zangetsu's Rebellion_

On his way back to the confines of Los Noches, Zangetsu senses a large amount of spirit energy coming towards him. In his sealed state once again, he waits a few moments, and two Espada appear before. The Quinta Espada, Nnoitora, and the Sexta Espada, Grimmjow. Grimmjow seems wary about being near him; Nnoitora seems intrigued. "Well, well, Zangetsu. You really fucked up now. All of us could feel the echoes of your battle," Nnoitora says with a slight smirk. "We also know you used one of your forbidden abilities. Lord Aizen is most…displeased with you. He wants to see you, now."

"We've been ordered to take you to by force if we need too," Grimmjow adds, hand twitching to his zanpakto. "Knowing you…we don't know what you'll do. We know you're weak right now, though."

With a slight smirk, and in the blink of an eye, Zangetsu appears behind them, a deep gash across Grimmjow's chest, blood spluttering out. Both the Espada glance at him in surprise. "You fool. If Aizen was serious about punishing me, he wouldn't have sent you two. Or, to be more accurate, he wouldn't have sent _just _you two." Slowly, he draws his zanpakto and turns to face them. "Even in my weakened state, I'm still strong enough to take you two on."

Quickly, Nnoitora swings his giant scythe into the air, but before he can begin his release declaration, Zangetsu slashes him across the chest and, aiming a palm at him at point blank range, releases a Cero. Grimmjow leaps back and quickly positions his blade. "Grind…" he begins, but doesn't get any father. Zangetsu hits him with the Getsuga Tensho.

_Sosuke Aizen considers these weak fools to be worthy of their ranks? Tsk. He wouldn't know a real Hollow if it was right before his eyes. I'm not even at my strongest and managed to defeat these two within moments. Pathetic. But…I can devour them to raise my own Spiritual Pressure. I have a feeling I'll be needing my full strength._

Nearly an hour has passed, and there isn't the slightest sign either Nnoitora or Grimmjow had been here. Zangetsu was at full power once again, and just ever so slightly stronger. In the distance, he could feel Spiritual Pressures clashing, but didn't bother going to them. He knew they'd eventually come to him.

Getting to his feet, he uses Sonido and appears within Los Noches, his own palace within it. Sensing not even the slightest hint of spirit energy, he suppresses and lowers his own before lying down in his bed to have a rest…

When he wakes up, the Tercera Espada was sitting at the edge of his bed. "About time you wake up, Zangetsu," Halibel says calmly. "Lord Aizen, Gin and Tosen told us what you've done. Nnoitora and Grimmjow, you ate them, didn't you?"

"What if I did? Are you going to eat me to avenge them?" his tone is mocking, but playful at the same time. He fancies her.

"No, I will not. But I can't be so sure of the others. Especially Barragan. He might just kill you," she says, and then meets his eyes. A light crackling sensation sweeps across his skin, and he can see Halibel felt it too. Slowly and gently, she slides into the bed on top of him. "I know you've wanted me, Zangetsu, for a long time now. I'm not sure how I felt then, but I want you now." She unzips her top, and tosses it aside.

As she does, Zangetsu leans up and gently kisses her.

Nearly an hour later, Zangetsu leaves a sleeping Halibel and steps outside. He doesn't hide his Spiritual Pressure this time. He lets it roam free, and instantly he can feel the other Espada, even Tosen, coming for him. _Heh, _he thought with a sneer. _This should be quite interesting._

Within moments, only three Espada stand before him. The Segundo Espada Barragan, the Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra and the Primera Espada Stark. "Zangetsu, you've disobeyed orders by Aizen," Ulquiorra states, watching him carefully. "He is most unpleased by your actions. We've been given orders to bring you before him for punishment by any means necessary."

"Ulquiorra," Zangetsu says, "you know you lack sufficient power to stop me. None of you can stop me without disobeying orders." His smirk grows as they understand his words. "I don't care to follow him anymore. I've achieved my goal of fighting that Shinigami. Now, I no longer have any need to stay here. Be gone." He takes a step forward and then a hand grabs his shoulder.

"You little punk ass youngster," Barragan growls. "Listen, newbie, you have no power here. You do not speak like that to me. Do you—" he gets cut off as Zangetsu punches him in the face. Stumbling back in surprise, he grabs for the wall. Before he can, Zangetsu slashes him across the chest deeply in the blink of an eye.

"Like I said, Barragan, you have insufficient power to stop me. But you're an annoying Espada." Zangetsu thrusts out a palm, a white and blue sphere beginning to form as he gathers spirit energy into it. And before Barragan or the others react, he's hit with a Cero at point-blank range.

Quickly, Zangetsu swings his zanpakto, a Getsuga Tensho wrapped around it as Ulquiorra fires a Cero at him. He parries the blow with ease, and then an ax comes swinging at his chest. _Fool, _he thought. He grabs the ax and stops it, dead in its path.

Using Sonido, he appears behind the second Espada and uses him as a body shield. He himself uses his ax to block the Cero, and then swings a wrinkled, old fist at Zangetsu…only to get a deep slash down his arm. He growls and then a Bala soars past him. Backhanding it, it flies to the side and nearly hits Stark, who hasn't joined the fight.

To Zangetsu's surprise, Ulquiorra draws his own zanpakto. "Aizen will forgive us for releasing Resurreccion. As I said, we're here to capture you by any means necessary. And obviously, Resurreccion is required," he says, and leaps back a few feet, and then disappears. He reappears on a pillar, directly within the moonlight. Barragan and Stark appear at the foot of the pillar. But, Stark uses the seriousness of the situation to slip away. Holding out his zanpakto directly in front of him, blade held down by his side, Ulquiorra whispers his release, "Enclose, Murcielago." A green aura with a black interior engulfs him, and a green rain-like substance falls from the sky.

Barragan lets his ax slide upside down and declares his release, "Rot, Arrognate." A blood red eye opens in the middle of it and a dark purple fog leaks out, surrounding and engulfing him._ This should be interesting. Three Espada, two in Resurreccion, fighting all out in Los Noches. Wonder how long before Aizen realizes that's a mistake, _Zangetsu thought.


	3. Chapter 3: Arrival of Kenpachi Zaraki

_The Hollow Takes Control:_

_Chronicles of Ichigo Kurosaki_

On the verge of death, after being defeated by the Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra in the tower on his way to save Rukia, Ichigo fell into his inner world. Waiting for him there, is his Hollow. With a smirk, he says, "I didn't expect to see you here so soon, King. I thought you were stronger than this. But I warned you, Ichigo." Using Shunpo, the Hollow stabs Ichigo in the chest.

Ichigo can't even react in time to avoid the blow. "Look at that. You can't even defend yourself. You really are pathetic. You are no longer the King. _I _am," he cackles. At long last, his inner Hollows Spiritual Pressure surges free. Unable to repress it, unable to resist or do anything, Ichigo just watches as his world come crumbling down. "Don't worry, Kurosaki. Those girls you wanted to save? I'll make sure to do it." Just like that, the Hollow vanishes, finally freed at last.

In the tower within Los Noches, the body of Ichigo rises. A white substances burst from his mouth and the hole in his chest seems to shrink, just a little. His dark brown eyes, warm yet fierce, become cold and frightening. The whites in his eyes go black and the brown turns into a dark gold like color. The white substance completely covers his body.

All throughout Los Noches, soul reapers and Arrancars feel the transformation. On his way to revive him, Grimmjow and Orihime are the first ones to arrive. "Ichigo!" she cries once Grimmjow lets her go. She tries running to his side, but Grimmjow holds her back.

"Who the hell are you?" Grimmjow growls, reaching for his zanpakto. The Hollow glances at him and grins. A huge explosion of Spiritual Pressure blasts both of them out. The tower crumbles down to the ground and the transformation finally ends.

A paler version of Ichigo stands in the air, wielding a snow white Zangetsu. "You want to know who I am, Espada?" the figure cackles. His voice is demented and mocking, full of pure menace. "I am the King of this body. I am the strongest!" Using Sonido, he brings the sword down his side, slashing him open. Grimmjow pushes Orihime out of the way and leaps back the moment the Hollow stops. He draws his sword and thrusts out a palm, releasing a dark blood red Cero. _Damn he's fast, _Grimmjow thought.

"Getsuga…Tensho," the Hollow says, releasing a wave of spirit energy that slashes the Cero in half. Using Sonido, Grimmjow appears a few feet away, and then immediately the Hollow is there. Grinning maliciously, he says, "Ichigo may have had a hard time with you, but I don't. Hurry up and release your sword before I get bored."

"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me what to do!" he snarls, leaping back a few yards. Positioning his sword, Grimmjow begins his release, "Grind…" and then a hand stops him. Glancing up, his eyes met Ulquiorra's.

"Sheathe your sword, Grimmjow," he says calmly. Turning to the Hollow, he asks, "You look like the soul reaper I defeated. Those eyes and that Spiritual Pressure, though, belong to an Arrancar. Not just an Arrancar, an Espada. Tell me, who are you?"

For a moment, there's silence. Then the figure answers, "I am Zangetsu."

"Bullshit," Grimmjow shouted. "Ichigo's bankai is Tensa Zangetsu. How can his zanpakto be a Hollow?"

"Zangetsu and I became one," he replies calmly. "The more Ichigo began to depend on his swords power, the easier it was for me to take control. And now I have taken control. Thanks to you, Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer." He points a finger at him and grins. Before Ulquiorra can respond, he adds, "You stabbed him in the chest with your hand where your own hole is," he gestures at the small one in his chest, "and left. Because you weakened him, it allowed me to finally defeat him and take over."

Thrusting out his blade, Zangetsu declares in a loud, clear voice, "Bankai." His already immense Spiritual Pressure explodes to even greater heights. The surrounding terrain seems to explode and collapse under the weight of it. Ulquiorra quickly takes Orihime to a nearby tower using Sonido, and then reappears by Grimmjow's side.

"Looks like this is going to be one hell of a fight," Grimmjow says.

"Indeed. I was on way to find you, but I never imagined this is what I'd find," Ulquiorra says, drawing his own sword. "This is going to be quite troublesome, even with two Espada." Glancing at Grimmjow, he adds, "I suggest you release your sword now, Grimmjow."

The sand dissipates to reveal Zangetsu wearing Tensa Zangetsu's uniform. Purely white, and the sword, blade and all, white except for the hilt guard and hilt itself. He also wore a mask. Unlike Ichigo's Hollowfication mask, this one is different. It completely covers his head, and has two horns.

Quickly understanding the situation, Grimmjow slaps his hand onto his blade. The blade glowing blue, he slides his hand down it quickly and declares, "Grind, Pantera!" The instant he does, Zangetsu leaps into the air. Ulquiorra is the one who goes to meet him.

"What's with the Hollow mask?" he asks. Zangetsu doesn't answer, and charges a flame like Cero between his horns. Ulquiorra's eyes widen in surprise as he's hit point blank with a Cero. Grimmjow leaps forward, now in his Resurreccion state, and soars towards him.

Ulquiorra leaps back, charging a dark green Cero at the end of his fingertip and then releases it. Grimmjow thrusts a palm forward and releases his own. The two Cero combine as they soar at the Hollow.

To both of their surprise, Zangetsu merely holds out a palm. The combined Cero crash against his palm with the strength of a nuclear bomb, the ground around him exploding, except for a small bit surrounding him. He doesn't even seem to feel the power in it. "Is this really the best you two can do?" he asks and then, using Sonido, appears behind Grimmjow and slams it into his back,

Grimmjow screams out in pain and Ulquiorra twirls around in surprise. The moment he does, Zangetsu is standing right there, his sword slashing down Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra's Hierro doesn't do anything to protect him. A huge wave of blood bursts free, splattering Zangetsu. Within moments, both the Sexta and Cuarto Espada drop to the ground, fatally wounded. "Release your sword, and you might have a chance. If you don't, I will kill you." Ulquiorra sensed no lie in his words.

_Damn it, _he thought. Slowly getting to his feet, he was about to take to the air when a soul reaper appeared.

"L-lord Aizen?" Grimmjow managed to mutter.

He stood there unwavering, seeming to have already known what had happened. "Yes, Grimmjow. Thank you two for stalling him for so long, and even testing his abilities," Aizen replies. Turning to face Zangetsu, he says, "So you're the Hollow that's been within the ryoka boy." There's a small smirk on his face as he faces the new Hollow. "I'm sure you already know who I am, but I'll tell you anyway. I'm Aizen, Sosuke Aizen."

"Yeah, I know you," the Hollow replies for the first time since performing bankai. "It doesn't make any difference to me. I'm free, and intend to destroy everything that stands in my way."

"I'm not here to stand in your way. I want you to join me. I'm planning to destroy the Soul Society. You'll have the chance to battle the captain who _you_ didn't manage to defeat when you were in the Soul Society. Captain of Sixth Company, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Zangetsu remembered. That soul reaper who Ichigo was having such a difficult time defeating. "You're saying I'll get another chance to fight him if I join you?" he asks.

"You might get another chance. Join me, and I'll make you much stronger than you are now," Aizen says.

_Chapter #2_

_Zangetsu vs. Byakuya_

Zangetsu stands outside Los Noches, detecting many Spiritual Pressures throughout Hueco Mundo. "You can sense it, can't you?" a mocking voice says. Glancing behind him, he sees the Quinta Espada, Nnoitora. "Soul reapers are here, in our world. We can crush all of them if we act quickly."

Garbed in the Arrancar uniform, Zangetsu watches him for a moment before saying, "I don't need your help. You're only five, Nnoitora. I can handle all of them myself." Without another word, he disappears using Sonido. He reappears miles away, close to Rukia's brother.

"There you are, Soul Reaper," he says when he finally finds Byakuya. His eyes don't rise in surprise, but there is a slight fear in them. "Last time, we didn't manage to finish our battle. Ichigo got in the way, though he did beat you." Drawing his sword, he adds, "Now, let's finish ours."

Aiming a finger at him, Byakuya says, "Bakudo sixty-one, Six Rod Light Restraint." As the Kido begins to form around the Espada, he vanishes. "Scatter," Byakuya says, sensing his spirit energy, "Senbon Zakura." His blade bursts into flower petals and swirls behind him.

"I see that you are a hollow," he says, turning around. "Aizen must've turned you into an Arrancar once you took over Ichigo's body. You seem quite strong, so I won't go easy on you, even if Ichigo is still in there somewhere." With a twirl of his hand, the petals soar towards Zangetsu.

"Getsuga Tensho," he says and swings his sword. The wave of hardened spirit energy slashes through the pink wave, heading directly towards the Soul Reaper captain.

"Bakudo one, Danku." A large, square shield appears before him. But, to his surprise, the Getsuga Tensho breaks through it with incredible ease. He barely manages to avoid getting his left arm slashed off. Zangetsu appears before him, smiling wildly, and thrusts forward. Using the petals, he pushes the blade away, and prepares to perform another Kido. But then Zangetsu thrusts out a fist, and a dark black sphere crackles into formation with a blood red outline to it. _Cero, _Byakuya thought, preparing to use Shunpo.

The moment he does, his enemy uses Sonido. And the moment he reappears, the Cero hits him full, head on in the chest. He cringes in pain and, with a small gesture of his palm; his Senbon Zakura completely encircles Zangetsu. Once the deadly blast stops, Byakuya closes his fist, and the sphere shrinks dramatically.

"You're pretty good." Byakuya twirls around, and then a white blade slashes threw him with ease. "But I'm tired of fighting you with just your shikai. Release your bankai, Soul Reaper, and fight me with full strength." Using the hilts wrap, he begins twirling the sword wildly, and eventually throws it at him.

"You might be strong, but there is no reason for me to perform bankai against you," he says calmly. "You're not strong enough, let alone worthy enough, to witness my bankai." Holding out an arm, the petals slowly begin to return into sword form. "Hado four, byaku rai." A small stream of white lightning bursts from his finger tip, soaring at the Hollow.

"Spare me with your pathetic Kido." Zangetsu merely holds out a hand, and the Kido smashes into it. But it doesn't pierce him. It simply…vanishes. Byakuya's eyes widen in slight surprise. "Kido doesn't work against me, Soul Reaper. If you won't release your bankai willingly, then I simply have to force you to release it." Appearing before him, Zangetsu thrusts forward. As Byakuya dodges, his Hollow enemy smiles and says, "Bankai."

The sudden explosion of energy shreds Byakuya's captain uniform, and shoves him back a few yards. _Bankai? _he thought questioningly. _What kind of Hollow has bankai? They have their Resurreccion._

As the dust settles, Byakuya sees the answer. "I see. You share the same bankai with Ichigo Kurosaki. I know the strength he had when he released it the last time we fought, when you took control of him then. Guess you succeeded in making me release. Bankai," he says, releasing his sword. His zanpakto disappears into the ground, and a hall of large blades appears behind him. "Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi." As soon as he says that, the blades completely disappear and become a hundred million cherry blossom flower petals.

"About time. Now _I _can release my own shikai." The flower petals seem to stop as Byakuya glances at him in surprise. "I am a Hollow, and Zangetsu. But Zangetsu was once the original center of Ichigo's spirit energy. Neither Ichigo nor he realized I have my own zanpakto. It comes from Zangetsu himself. Now I can finally fight without restraint." Holding out the thin white blade, the air temperature suddenly falls dramatically. The skies and surrounding area grows dark as he says, "Warp the world, Modulo de Oscuridad que fluye. (Flowing Darkness Blade)." The blade suddenly erupts into blackness, flowing freely and nothing holding it back. The darkness wraps around the blade, overflowing from it.

"What kind of zanpakto is that?" Byakuya asks, trembling slightly. _What is this I'm feeling? The moment he released that sword, everything seemed to lose its warmth. I can't detect any joy, happiness or anything like that. All I can sense is sorrow…and hate._

"This is my own zanpakto, Modulo de Oscuridad que fluye. Among all the Espada, I have the most feared blade. I'm sure you can sense why it's so dreadful." There isn't any joy in his voice, either. Nothing but…emptiness. "I am the Cero Espada, Zangetsu Oscuridad."

Then he swings his sword. Acting on his instinct, the Soul Reaper raises the petals to defend him. The darkness wrapped around the sword rips through all of them and slashes through the fabric on his torso. But the darkness doesn't cut him. Not physically. As soon as it touches his flesh, he feels his own Spiritual Pressure fall immensely and a sudden sense of loneliness.

"Can you understand?"

"Yes," Byakuya manages to whisper. "That darkness doesn't cut your opponents flesh. It cuts the soul, the spirit. Not only that, it can consume spirit energy. What a dangerous sword to have." Byakuya's legs give out and he falls to his knees, panting. "But I'm sure there's still more to your zanpakto's abilities then this." He slowly tries to get back on his feet, and a after a few moments, manages it.

"You're correct. There is more to what it can do. For example," Zangetsu says. He plunges his own sword into the darkness surrounding him and says, "Rasga de Oscuridad." Four dark blades appear around Byakuya and slash at him. He cringes as in pain and terror as they actually cut him this time. But as they do, he feels himself getting weaker more quickly.

Panting heavily, Byakuya manages to say, "Gokei. Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi." His entire bankai engulfs Zangetsu in a wide sphere. _D-damn it, _he thought. _That sword is incredibly malicious. Not only does it consume my own spirit energy and my own feelings, it can cut me. And on top of that, its effects are even stronger when it does cut._

Then, the sphere explodes and implodes, striking at Zangetsu from every direction. _D-damn…it, _Byakuya thought, still sensing the overwhelming Spiritual Pressure. _That zanpakto of his…it isn't fair. _He slowly tries getting to his feet when a black whip wraps his legs together. Then suddenly it yanks his legs from under him and he falls onto his back.

"El latigo de la Oscuridad (Whip of Darkness.)" Zangetsu stands before him, the dark blade pouring out even more darkness. "You never stood a chance against me, Soul Reaper." He then stops, and looks around. _There's another Soul Reaper around here? His Spiritual Pressure is quite familiar as well…_

Using Sonido, he vanishes as a katana swings right by where he was standing.

_Chapter #3_

_Arrival of Kenpachi Zaraki_

Kenpachi, the Captain of eleventh company, stands directly beside Byakuya with an amused smile. "You dodged my slash easily enough. Your ability to detect Spiritual Pressure seems to be better than Ichigo's." Then he glances down at Byakuya. "Humph. I always thought you were stronger than this. Get out of here, now. Get in my way, Byakuya Kuchiki, and I'll kill you."

He leaps towards Zangetsu with a broad smile on his face. The blade of his zanpakto pulses as gold-yellow spirit energy surrounds it. With brute strength, he swings it in a violent motion. "Las llamas Ardiente de la Oscuridad (Blazing Flames of Darkness)." Dark black flames explode around him and quickly drain the spirit energy from his blade. Surprised by the sudden attack, Kenpachi loses momentum and Zangetsu grabs his blade. "Kenpachi Zaraki," Zangetsu says. "I watched Ichigo fight you in the Soul Society. I'm glad I get to fight you. But…I want to fight you without using my own shikai."

With a single gesture, he seals his own swords release for the time being. "Let's have some time," they say in unison and swing. The blades collide with a deafening roar and the sand around them explodes under the ferocity of it. Kenpachi grabs him by the collar and yanks him forward. Acting on instinct, the Hollow lashes out with his leg. He successfully kicks Kenpachi in the side. He doesn't even seem to feel it as he raises his own sword.

Zangetsu thrusts out a hand, barely an inch from his face and charges a Cero. _FUCK! _Kenpachi thought, using Shunpo to disappear. But it doesn't help him escape the Espada's Pesquisa. He swings his arm far to the right and releases a dark red Cero with a black outline.

The moment he reappears, Kenpachi swings his sword and temporarily stops the Cero. But it's slowly pushing him back, centimeter by centimeter. And then, to his horror, his enemy says, "Getsuga Tensho." A wave of energy comes soaring at him. Acting quickly, he sends a vertical wave of spirit energy slashing the Cero in half, and quickly turns to slash the Getsuga Tensho apart. As he does, Zangetsu appears and thrusts forward. Quickly dodging, Kenpachi grabs the zanpakto and kicks at him. But this time, as Zangetsu thrusts out his palm, he hits the Soul Reaper with a hardened Bala.

The sudden attack sends him skittering back a few yards. "Try taking your eye patch off. I know it's to help you enjoy fighting, but we can both enjoy this more if you're fighting me with full strength." He swings his sword and a barrage of Bala fly at him.

"Your right, I guess," Kenpachi says, dodging them with a quick, short distanced Shunpo. He removes the eye patch and a huge pillar of dark yellow-gold Spiritual Pressure engulfs him. Everything around them seems to crackle under the ferocity and sheer weight of his Spiritual Pressure.

_That's more like it, _the Hollow thought. He holds onto the hilt with both hands, properly positioned for kendo. He appears before Kenpachi and they attack at the same instance. For miles around them the ground seems to explode and cave, as if a nuclear bomb had gone off. Each time they exchange blows, the terrain explodes and they grin in pure pleasure.

"This is…fantastic!" Kenpachi bellows swing a wide, over hand arch. Zangetsu parries easily, and then the blade surges towards his chest. "I haven't had this much damn fun in so long! Don't you dare die on me too soon!" The Arrancar grabs the sword and slashes Kenpachi diagonally up from his left hip to right shoulder blade.

"That's my line, Soul Reaper!" Zangetsu cackles. "I haven't let loose like this in so long, it's indescribable!" Blood splatters him from head to toe, and Kenpachi's smile, if possible, grows even broader. He leaps back and sends two waves of spirit energy flying at him. "Getsuga Tensho!" A horizontal wave of hardened spirit energy slashes the gold ones in half.

Appearing before each other, they slam their fists together and the very ground beneath their feet implodes. As they do that, their blades lash out blindly and quickly. The constant onslaught destroys everything around them, and the echoes of their Spiritual Pressure can be felt from more than ten miles away. As Kenpachi slashes Zangetsu's shoulder open, Zangetsu delivers a vicious blow to his stomach. Quickly the sand around them is soaked and stained with their blood. Neither of them are panting, nor show any sign of tiring.

Byakuya watches in astonishment as the barbaric Captain fights on par with the Espada who so easily defeated him. _I feel like I'm watching a fight between two predators, attacking each other yet not causing enough injury to fatally wound or kill. They're savoring this, _he thought.

Leaping back, they both just meet eyes for a few moments. "Damn, Soul Reaper. Your one tough bastard. You still haven't called upon your zanpakto yet. We can continue fighting like this for days and not kill one another." He tightens his grip around the hilt of his sword and adds, "Let's just say it. Enough feeling each other up. It's time we took this battle to the next level. And don't you dare say you haven't achieved shikai, at least. Unlike Ichigo, I know you have communicated with your zanpakto. You're holding back. Time to release."

Grinning, Kenpachi says, "You're a sneaky little bastard. I have only just recently learned my zanpakto's name. I do have shikai, but I'm enjoying this too much. If I release my sword, I might end up killing you too quickly." His eyes hardening, he says, "Maybe you should release your Resurreccion. Depending on your Spiritual Pressure, I'll consider releasing."

Zangetsu smirks playfully and whispers, "Interesting." Swinging his zanpakto high into the sky, the blade casts a shadow as it hits the moonlight. "Descend from the skies and strike down my enemies…Bestia Luna Fanged celestial (Heavenly Moon-Fanged Beast."

His zanpakto erupted in bursts of dark black with a blood red and moon pale outline. A shockwave explodes outward from him, knocking Kenpachi back a few yards. His incredibly powerfully immense Spiritual Pressure surges higher than ever. Every bone in Byakuya's body is creaking under the weight of it. Weakened from Zangetsu's shikai abilities, he soon loses consciousness. _What marvelous Spiritual Pressure, _Kenpachi thought in wonder. _He's been holding back this much power? Damn him. If I don't release my own shikai, I most likely will die. _As the sand and air calms, his eyes widen in surprise.

Zangetsu stands before him, wearing a strange uniform. No shirt, revealing small, serrated fang like horns jutting from his body, mostly his arms. There's an immense aura surrounding him. His entire mouth is full of pale fangs. His hands are clawed, and he has a Zero tattooed on his left side. His eyes are empty sockets of pure darkness. Strange markings are on his palms. Kenpachi can't identify them, nor does he care. There's no sign of a mask or anything. There are long, pale curved horns on his head and jet-black streaks going down his face.

"Well?" An instant, ice cold shiver creeps down his spine as Zangetsu speaks. His voice is like falling into a never ending pit of darkness, void of nothing except loneliness, and emptiness. "This is my Resurreccion. My true power and true form. Are you prepared to release your shikai, Soul Reaper?"

"I've never met anyone as powerful as you are, Arrancar. I'm glad I finally met a foe worthy of fighting at full strength with." The bloodlust returns to his eyes as he makes a small gash on his arm. "Fight to kill…Asesino brutal (Barbaric Killer.)" His entire body seems to explode like a golden pillar of spirit energy.

The pillar soars high into the sky and then comes crashing down in true form. Kenpachi grins as Zangetsu eyes him warily. "What an intriguing shikai you have, Soul Reaper."

_Chapter #4_

_Battle of the Beasts_

Kenpachi stands before him, wearing the skins of Hollows. His zanpakto has changed, as well. Double edged, completely serrated, and with more Hollow skins, this time as a hilt wrap. There's no hilt guard, just a small dent separating blade from hilt.

His scarred and bleeding body is now garbed in a Soul Reaper uniform made entirely of skin. He grins at Zangetsu and says, "I only achieved this release a little while ago. I can't control it very well yet. But I can still fight on par with you, at least."

"Is that so, Zaraki Kenpachi?" his opponent chuckles. "Let's put it to the test then." Faster than a heartbeat, the blade clashes with the Arrancars palm and a shower of sparks bursts to the sides. Extending a single finger, he adds, "Gran Rey Cero."

A massive Cero surges from his fingertip within seconds, completely engulfing the Soul Reaper. _Is this really the end of this Soul Reaper? _Zangetsu thought to himself. _I doubt it. Heh, cocky bastard. Trying to hide his full abilities from me. I'll force him to reveal them._

As he prepares to release another Cero, a sudden wave of gold spirit energy blasts through the Cero. Quickly he crushes it with his hand, and then Kenpachi is beside him, slightly burned. "That was a powerful Cero, Espada. But you can't kill me with something like that."

As he swings his zanpakto again, Zangetsu notices he's wielding another blade, as well. It's a dark black katana with a golden hilt guard, shaped like interlocking blades in a circle. It has a single serrated edge, and the blade itself looks serrated. _Why didn't I notice the second blade before? _he thought. As he raises his arm, there's a slight pain as he's cut.

Taking two large steps back, he examines his wound, and Kenpachi's blade. Now he notices the original blade, which had been double sided, wasn't like that now. It had a single edge. _So that's where the second blade had come from, _he thought. _But…why's he have two? He could've used both at the same time and inflicted more damage._

Holding out a hand to the side, he says, "Espada Luna fanged," and a sword appears. It's completely pale, just like the moon, and the blade resembles the fang of a beast. _In Resurreccion, my Getsuga Tensho is at its most powerful. I'll use it to see why he doesn't attack with both. _A dark black and red aura engulf the blade and he snarls, "Getsuga Tensho!" sending the wave hurtling towards his opponent with incredible speed. And using Sonido appears a few feet to Kenpachi's left, releasing another Cero.

This time, Kenpachi swings his left arm, and the Getsuga Tensho seems to get swallowed into the sword. And, turning to the Cero, he thrusts the same blade forward and releases a massive amount of spirit energy ripping through it. "What a convenient ability you have, Soul Reaper," Zangetsu says, watching him warily as he faces him.

"Your right sword is capable of inflicting physical injury, as far as I know. Your left sword, on the other hand, literally, seems to have the ability to absorb attacks with spirit energy. Once you absorb it, you can break it down and convert it into a blast of your own energy." A nagging thought pops into his head then. _If both blades are capable of doing something different, yet similar alone, then the single form…_

"Seems you figured out a bit of my ability. Quite observant, but I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Espada. You only used that wave attack and the Cero to confirm what you assumed. But I'll let you in on something. My left blade…doesn't always use _all _the spirit energy it absorbs." A broad smile appears on his face as he swings his blade and says, "Barra de illuminacion demoledor de la Tierra (Earth Shattering Lightning Slash)!"and sends a wave of lightning rushing towards him, ripping the very ground under it open. Zangetsu thrusts out his blade and releases a Getsuga Tensho blast to counter Kenpachi. The two attacks collide with the force of a thousand Gran Rey Ceros. But in seconds, the Getsuga Tensho blast disappears and quickly the slash surges towards him. At the last second, he uses Sonido to appear a few yards to Kenpachi's left.

"Damn it. Your left sword can also absorb spirit energy based attacks with your own. But, if you don't release it all, then what happens when it reaches the breaking point?" He opens his hand, each finger spread, and a small) sphere of energy appears at each tip. "Destruccion (destruction), calamidad (calamity), Odio (hate), rabia (rage), dolor (pain)."

He clenched each finger as he said them, slowly getting bigger in the process. "Let's see you absorb this, Soul Reaper. One of my own, most powerful abilities that I've been forbidden to use within Los Noches, let alone in Resurreccion. This attack makes the Gran Rey Cero look like a feather blowing in the breeze." He closes his hand for a few moments, and then reopens it.

An immensely dark, jet black sphere appears in his extended palm. Using his left hand, he places it on his wrist and steadies his feet. "Luna fanged rayo de Dios (Moon-fanged God lightning strike)." The sphere blasts towards Kenpachi with such sheer force that it creates a crater three miles deep and four miles wide.

_God damn, _Kenpachi thought, feeling the sheer force in the blast. _If I can't contain all this spirit energy…I'll die for sure. Got to release all the energy I have already, and that isn't much as it. _He thrusts his left arm forward and releases a blast of energy that'd be impressive if not compared to the blast rushing at him. It disintegrates in seconds, and then…collision.

Kenpachi is hit with the power of every single bomb ever made, trying to absorb all the energy into his zanpakto. The terrain around him explodes and caves in on itself. Slowly but gradually, he begins to get pushed back. "Damn…it…all!" he growls, repositioning his feet and pushing his blade into the attack.

"You really think you can handle all this spirit energy? Here! Have some more then!" Suddenly, the blasts power surges up to an even greater height, so powerful that the top of Los Noches begins to crack and all that can be heard is the deafening roar of Zangetsu's attack.

Kenpachi glances at his sword, and sees a fracture beginning to form from the pressure and constant flow of energy. Kenpachi shivers as he realizes he won't be able to absorb it all. _If I keep absorbing this, my shikai's second edge will shatter and my shikai will be useless. The only thing left to do is…take it head on. _Sighing and mentally preparing himself, he swings his blade away and lets the blast strike him full, head on.

He lets out a deafening, barbaric howl of pain and doesn't stop until the blast slowly subsides. For miles around them, there is a gigantic, deep crater radiating spirit energy. The sky is cracked so much that one more Gran Rey Cero would surely break it.

Zangetsu appears on the ground, hidden amongst the sand still lingering in the air. But that doesn't stop him from finding Kenpachi, lying on the ground. His body is so torn and ripped it's almost impossible to tell it's really a man. Bits of skin, flesh and bone are scattered everywhere. Kenpachi no longer had his blade released. It was sealed again.

"You were a decent opponent, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. Thanks to you, I was able to let loose and test my abilities without restraint. Despite being hit with one of my strongest and most forbidden techniques, you're still alive and still, mostly, in one piece. But you're close to death. If you die, then die knowing I consider you a truly worthy opponent. If you don't die, then live, live and fight me another day, when you're at full strength once again.

_Chapter #5:_

_Zangetsu's Rebellion_

On his way back to the confines of Los Noches, Zangetsu senses a large amount of spirit energy coming towards him. In his sealed state once again, he waits a few moments, and two Espada appear before. The Quinta Espada, Nnoitora, and the Sexta Espada, Grimmjow. Grimmjow seems wary about being near him; Nnoitora seems intrigued. "Well, well, Zangetsu. You really fucked up now. All of us could feel the echoes of your battle," Nnoitora says with a slight smirk. "We also know you used one of your forbidden abilities. Lord Aizen is most…displeased with you. He wants to see you, now."

"We've been ordered to take you to by force if we need too," Grimmjow adds, hand twitching to his zanpakto. "Knowing you…we don't know what you'll do. We know you're weak right now, though."

With a slight smirk, and in the blink of an eye, Zangetsu appears behind them, a deep gash across Grimmjow's chest, blood spluttering out. Both the Espada glance at him in surprise. "You fool. If Aizen was serious about punishing me, he wouldn't have sent you two. Or, to be more accurate, he wouldn't have sent _just _you two." Slowly, he draws his zanpakto and turns to face them. "Even in my weakened state, I'm still strong enough to take you two on."

Quickly, Nnoitora swings his giant scythe into the air, but before he can begin his release declaration, Zangetsu slashes him across the chest and, aiming a palm at him at point blank range, releases a Cero. Grimmjow leaps back and quickly positions his blade. "Grind…" he begins, but doesn't get any father. Zangetsu hits him with the Getsuga Tensho.

_Sosuke Aizen considers these weak fools to be worthy of their ranks? Tsk. He wouldn't know a real Hollow if it was right before his eyes. I'm not even at my strongest and managed to defeat these two within moments. Pathetic. But…I can devour them to raise my own Spiritual Pressure. I have a feeling I'll be needing my full strength._

Nearly an hour has passed, and there isn't the slightest sign either Nnoitora or Grimmjow had been here. Zangetsu was at full power once again, and just ever so slightly stronger. In the distance, he could feel Spiritual Pressures clashing, but didn't bother going to them. He knew they'd eventually come to him.

Getting to his feet, he uses Sonido and appears within Los Noches, his own palace within it. Sensing not even the slightest hint of spirit energy, he suppresses and lowers his own before lying down in his bed to have a rest…

When he wakes up, the Tercera Espada was sitting at the edge of his bed. "About time you wake up, Zangetsu," Halibel says calmly. "Lord Aizen, Gin and Tosen told us what you've done. Nnoitora and Grimmjow, you ate them, didn't you?"

"What if I did? Are you going to eat me to avenge them?" his tone is mocking, but playful at the same time. He fancies her.

"No, I will not. But I can't be so sure of the others. Especially Barragan. He might just kill you," she says, and then meets his eyes. A light crackling sensation sweeps across his skin, and he can see Halibel felt it too. Slowly and gently, she slides into the bed on top of him. "I know you've wanted me, Zangetsu, for a long time now. I'm not sure how I felt then, but I want you now." She unzips her top, and tosses it aside.

As she does, Zangetsu leans up and gently kisses her.

Nearly an hour later, Zangetsu leaves a sleeping Halibel and steps outside. He doesn't hide his Spiritual Pressure this time. He lets it roam free, and instantly he can feel the other Espada, even Tosen, coming for him. _Heh, _he thought with a sneer. _This should be quite interesting._

Within moments, only three Espada stand before him. The Segundo Espada Barragan, the Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra and the Primera Espada Stark. "Zangetsu, you've disobeyed orders by Aizen," Ulquiorra states, watching him carefully. "He is most unpleased by your actions. We've been given orders to bring you before him for punishment by any means necessary."

"Ulquiorra," Zangetsu says, "you know you lack sufficient power to stop me. None of you can stop me without disobeying orders." His smirk grows as they understand his words. "I don't care to follow him anymore. I've achieved my goal of fighting that Shinigami. Now, I no longer have any need to stay here. Be gone." He takes a step forward and then a hand grabs his shoulder.

"You little punk ass youngster," Barragan growls. "Listen, newbie, you have no power here. You do not speak like that to me. Do you—" he gets cut off as Zangetsu punches him in the face. Stumbling back in surprise, he grabs for the wall. Before he can, Zangetsu slashes him across the chest deeply in the blink of an eye.

"Like I said, Barragan, you have insufficient power to stop me. But you're an annoying Espada." Zangetsu thrusts out a palm, a white and blue sphere beginning to form as he gathers spirit energy into it. And before Barragan or the others react, he's hit with a Cero at point-blank range.

Quickly, Zangetsu swings his zanpakto, a Getsuga Tensho wrapped around it as Ulquiorra fires a Cero at him. He parries the blow with ease, and then an ax comes swinging at his chest. _Fool, _he thought. He grabs the ax and stops it, dead in its path.

Using Sonido, he appears behind the second Espada and uses him as a body shield. He himself uses his ax to block the Cero, and then swings a wrinkled, old fist at Zangetsu…only to get a deep slash down his arm. He growls and then a Bala soars past him. Backhanding it, it flies to the side and nearly hits Stark, who hasn't joined the fight.

To Zangetsu's surprise, Ulquiorra draws his own zanpakto. "Aizen will forgive us for releasing Resurreccion. As I said, we're here to capture you by any means necessary. And obviously, Resurreccion is required," he says, and leaps back a few feet, and then disappears. He reappears on a pillar, directly within the moonlight. Barragan and Stark appear at the foot of the pillar. But, Stark uses the seriousness of the situation to slip away. Holding out his zanpakto directly in front of him, blade held down by his side, Ulquiorra whispers his release, "Enclose, Murcielago." A green aura with a black interior engulfs him, and a green rain-like substance falls from the sky.

Barragan lets his ax slide upside down and declares his release, "Rot, Arrognate." A blood red eye opens in the middle of it and a dark purple fog leaks out, surrounding and engulfing him._ This should be interesting. Three Espada, two in Resurreccion, fighting all out in Los Noches. Wonder how long before Aizen realizes that's a mistake, _Zangetsu thought.


	4. Chapter 4: Battle of the Beasts

_The Hollow Takes Control:_

_Chronicles of Ichigo Kurosaki_

On the verge of death, after being defeated by the Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra in the tower on his way to save Rukia, Ichigo fell into his inner world. Waiting for him there, is his Hollow. With a smirk, he says, "I didn't expect to see you here so soon, King. I thought you were stronger than this. But I warned you, Ichigo." Using Shunpo, the Hollow stabs Ichigo in the chest.

Ichigo can't even react in time to avoid the blow. "Look at that. You can't even defend yourself. You really are pathetic. You are no longer the King. _I _am," he cackles. At long last, his inner Hollows Spiritual Pressure surges free. Unable to repress it, unable to resist or do anything, Ichigo just watches as his world come crumbling down. "Don't worry, Kurosaki. Those girls you wanted to save? I'll make sure to do it." Just like that, the Hollow vanishes, finally freed at last.

In the tower within Los Noches, the body of Ichigo rises. A white substances burst from his mouth and the hole in his chest seems to shrink, just a little. His dark brown eyes, warm yet fierce, become cold and frightening. The whites in his eyes go black and the brown turns into a dark gold like color. The white substance completely covers his body.

All throughout Los Noches, soul reapers and Arrancars feel the transformation. On his way to revive him, Grimmjow and Orihime are the first ones to arrive. "Ichigo!" she cries once Grimmjow lets her go. She tries running to his side, but Grimmjow holds her back.

"Who the hell are you?" Grimmjow growls, reaching for his zanpakto. The Hollow glances at him and grins. A huge explosion of Spiritual Pressure blasts both of them out. The tower crumbles down to the ground and the transformation finally ends.

A paler version of Ichigo stands in the air, wielding a snow white Zangetsu. "You want to know who I am, Espada?" the figure cackles. His voice is demented and mocking, full of pure menace. "I am the King of this body. I am the strongest!" Using Sonido, he brings the sword down his side, slashing him open. Grimmjow pushes Orihime out of the way and leaps back the moment the Hollow stops. He draws his sword and thrusts out a palm, releasing a dark blood red Cero. _Damn he's fast, _Grimmjow thought.

"Getsuga…Tensho," the Hollow says, releasing a wave of spirit energy that slashes the Cero in half. Using Sonido, Grimmjow appears a few feet away, and then immediately the Hollow is there. Grinning maliciously, he says, "Ichigo may have had a hard time with you, but I don't. Hurry up and release your sword before I get bored."

"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me what to do!" he snarls, leaping back a few yards. Positioning his sword, Grimmjow begins his release, "Grind…" and then a hand stops him. Glancing up, his eyes met Ulquiorra's.

"Sheathe your sword, Grimmjow," he says calmly. Turning to the Hollow, he asks, "You look like the soul reaper I defeated. Those eyes and that Spiritual Pressure, though, belong to an Arrancar. Not just an Arrancar, an Espada. Tell me, who are you?"

For a moment, there's silence. Then the figure answers, "I am Zangetsu."

"Bullshit," Grimmjow shouted. "Ichigo's bankai is Tensa Zangetsu. How can his zanpakto be a Hollow?"

"Zangetsu and I became one," he replies calmly. "The more Ichigo began to depend on his swords power, the easier it was for me to take control. And now I have taken control. Thanks to you, Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer." He points a finger at him and grins. Before Ulquiorra can respond, he adds, "You stabbed him in the chest with your hand where your own hole is," he gestures at the small one in his chest, "and left. Because you weakened him, it allowed me to finally defeat him and take over."

Thrusting out his blade, Zangetsu declares in a loud, clear voice, "Bankai." His already immense Spiritual Pressure explodes to even greater heights. The surrounding terrain seems to explode and collapse under the weight of it. Ulquiorra quickly takes Orihime to a nearby tower using Sonido, and then reappears by Grimmjow's side.

"Looks like this is going to be one hell of a fight," Grimmjow says.

"Indeed. I was on way to find you, but I never imagined this is what I'd find," Ulquiorra says, drawing his own sword. "This is going to be quite troublesome, even with two Espada." Glancing at Grimmjow, he adds, "I suggest you release your sword now, Grimmjow."

The sand dissipates to reveal Zangetsu wearing Tensa Zangetsu's uniform. Purely white, and the sword, blade and all, white except for the hilt guard and hilt itself. He also wore a mask. Unlike Ichigo's Hollowfication mask, this one is different. It completely covers his head, and has two horns.

Quickly understanding the situation, Grimmjow slaps his hand onto his blade. The blade glowing blue, he slides his hand down it quickly and declares, "Grind, Pantera!" The instant he does, Zangetsu leaps into the air. Ulquiorra is the one who goes to meet him.

"What's with the Hollow mask?" he asks. Zangetsu doesn't answer, and charges a flame like Cero between his horns. Ulquiorra's eyes widen in surprise as he's hit point blank with a Cero. Grimmjow leaps forward, now in his Resurreccion state, and soars towards him.

Ulquiorra leaps back, charging a dark green Cero at the end of his fingertip and then releases it. Grimmjow thrusts a palm forward and releases his own. The two Cero combine as they soar at the Hollow.

To both of their surprise, Zangetsu merely holds out a palm. The combined Cero crash against his palm with the strength of a nuclear bomb, the ground around him exploding, except for a small bit surrounding him. He doesn't even seem to feel the power in it. "Is this really the best you two can do?" he asks and then, using Sonido, appears behind Grimmjow and slams it into his back,

Grimmjow screams out in pain and Ulquiorra twirls around in surprise. The moment he does, Zangetsu is standing right there, his sword slashing down Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra's Hierro doesn't do anything to protect him. A huge wave of blood bursts free, splattering Zangetsu. Within moments, both the Sexta and Cuarto Espada drop to the ground, fatally wounded. "Release your sword, and you might have a chance. If you don't, I will kill you." Ulquiorra sensed no lie in his words.

_Damn it, _he thought. Slowly getting to his feet, he was about to take to the air when a soul reaper appeared.

"L-lord Aizen?" Grimmjow managed to mutter.

He stood there unwavering, seeming to have already known what had happened. "Yes, Grimmjow. Thank you two for stalling him for so long, and even testing his abilities," Aizen replies. Turning to face Zangetsu, he says, "So you're the Hollow that's been within the ryoka boy." There's a small smirk on his face as he faces the new Hollow. "I'm sure you already know who I am, but I'll tell you anyway. I'm Aizen, Sosuke Aizen."

"Yeah, I know you," the Hollow replies for the first time since performing bankai. "It doesn't make any difference to me. I'm free, and intend to destroy everything that stands in my way."

"I'm not here to stand in your way. I want you to join me. I'm planning to destroy the Soul Society. You'll have the chance to battle the captain who _you_ didn't manage to defeat when you were in the Soul Society. Captain of Sixth Company, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Zangetsu remembered. That soul reaper who Ichigo was having such a difficult time defeating. "You're saying I'll get another chance to fight him if I join you?" he asks.

"You might get another chance. Join me, and I'll make you much stronger than you are now," Aizen says.

_Chapter #2_

_Zangetsu vs. Byakuya_

Zangetsu stands outside Los Noches, detecting many Spiritual Pressures throughout Hueco Mundo. "You can sense it, can't you?" a mocking voice says. Glancing behind him, he sees the Quinta Espada, Nnoitora. "Soul reapers are here, in our world. We can crush all of them if we act quickly."

Garbed in the Arrancar uniform, Zangetsu watches him for a moment before saying, "I don't need your help. You're only five, Nnoitora. I can handle all of them myself." Without another word, he disappears using Sonido. He reappears miles away, close to Rukia's brother.

"There you are, Soul Reaper," he says when he finally finds Byakuya. His eyes don't rise in surprise, but there is a slight fear in them. "Last time, we didn't manage to finish our battle. Ichigo got in the way, though he did beat you." Drawing his sword, he adds, "Now, let's finish ours."

Aiming a finger at him, Byakuya says, "Bakudo sixty-one, Six Rod Light Restraint." As the Kido begins to form around the Espada, he vanishes. "Scatter," Byakuya says, sensing his spirit energy, "Senbon Zakura." His blade bursts into flower petals and swirls behind him.

"I see that you are a hollow," he says, turning around. "Aizen must've turned you into an Arrancar once you took over Ichigo's body. You seem quite strong, so I won't go easy on you, even if Ichigo is still in there somewhere." With a twirl of his hand, the petals soar towards Zangetsu.

"Getsuga Tensho," he says and swings his sword. The wave of hardened spirit energy slashes through the pink wave, heading directly towards the Soul Reaper captain.

"Bakudo one, Danku." A large, square shield appears before him. But, to his surprise, the Getsuga Tensho breaks through it with incredible ease. He barely manages to avoid getting his left arm slashed off. Zangetsu appears before him, smiling wildly, and thrusts forward. Using the petals, he pushes the blade away, and prepares to perform another Kido. But then Zangetsu thrusts out a fist, and a dark black sphere crackles into formation with a blood red outline to it. _Cero, _Byakuya thought, preparing to use Shunpo.

The moment he does, his enemy uses Sonido. And the moment he reappears, the Cero hits him full, head on in the chest. He cringes in pain and, with a small gesture of his palm; his Senbon Zakura completely encircles Zangetsu. Once the deadly blast stops, Byakuya closes his fist, and the sphere shrinks dramatically.

"You're pretty good." Byakuya twirls around, and then a white blade slashes threw him with ease. "But I'm tired of fighting you with just your shikai. Release your bankai, Soul Reaper, and fight me with full strength." Using the hilts wrap, he begins twirling the sword wildly, and eventually throws it at him.

"You might be strong, but there is no reason for me to perform bankai against you," he says calmly. "You're not strong enough, let alone worthy enough, to witness my bankai." Holding out an arm, the petals slowly begin to return into sword form. "Hado four, byaku rai." A small stream of white lightning bursts from his finger tip, soaring at the Hollow.

"Spare me with your pathetic Kido." Zangetsu merely holds out a hand, and the Kido smashes into it. But it doesn't pierce him. It simply…vanishes. Byakuya's eyes widen in slight surprise. "Kido doesn't work against me, Soul Reaper. If you won't release your bankai willingly, then I simply have to force you to release it." Appearing before him, Zangetsu thrusts forward. As Byakuya dodges, his Hollow enemy smiles and says, "Bankai."

The sudden explosion of energy shreds Byakuya's captain uniform, and shoves him back a few yards. _Bankai? _he thought questioningly. _What kind of Hollow has bankai? They have their Resurreccion._

As the dust settles, Byakuya sees the answer. "I see. You share the same bankai with Ichigo Kurosaki. I know the strength he had when he released it the last time we fought, when you took control of him then. Guess you succeeded in making me release. Bankai," he says, releasing his sword. His zanpakto disappears into the ground, and a hall of large blades appears behind him. "Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi." As soon as he says that, the blades completely disappear and become a hundred million cherry blossom flower petals.

"About time. Now _I _can release my own shikai." The flower petals seem to stop as Byakuya glances at him in surprise. "I am a Hollow, and Zangetsu. But Zangetsu was once the original center of Ichigo's spirit energy. Neither Ichigo nor he realized I have my own zanpakto. It comes from Zangetsu himself. Now I can finally fight without restraint." Holding out the thin white blade, the air temperature suddenly falls dramatically. The skies and surrounding area grows dark as he says, "Warp the world, Modulo de Oscuridad que fluye. (Flowing Darkness Blade)." The blade suddenly erupts into blackness, flowing freely and nothing holding it back. The darkness wraps around the blade, overflowing from it.

"What kind of zanpakto is that?" Byakuya asks, trembling slightly. _What is this I'm feeling? The moment he released that sword, everything seemed to lose its warmth. I can't detect any joy, happiness or anything like that. All I can sense is sorrow…and hate._

"This is my own zanpakto, Modulo de Oscuridad que fluye. Among all the Espada, I have the most feared blade. I'm sure you can sense why it's so dreadful." There isn't any joy in his voice, either. Nothing but…emptiness. "I am the Cero Espada, Zangetsu Oscuridad."

Then he swings his sword. Acting on his instinct, the Soul Reaper raises the petals to defend him. The darkness wrapped around the sword rips through all of them and slashes through the fabric on his torso. But the darkness doesn't cut him. Not physically. As soon as it touches his flesh, he feels his own Spiritual Pressure fall immensely and a sudden sense of loneliness.

"Can you understand?"

"Yes," Byakuya manages to whisper. "That darkness doesn't cut your opponents flesh. It cuts the soul, the spirit. Not only that, it can consume spirit energy. What a dangerous sword to have." Byakuya's legs give out and he falls to his knees, panting. "But I'm sure there's still more to your zanpakto's abilities then this." He slowly tries to get back on his feet, and a after a few moments, manages it.

"You're correct. There is more to what it can do. For example," Zangetsu says. He plunges his own sword into the darkness surrounding him and says, "Rasga de Oscuridad." Four dark blades appear around Byakuya and slash at him. He cringes as in pain and terror as they actually cut him this time. But as they do, he feels himself getting weaker more quickly.

Panting heavily, Byakuya manages to say, "Gokei. Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi." His entire bankai engulfs Zangetsu in a wide sphere. _D-damn it, _he thought. _That sword is incredibly malicious. Not only does it consume my own spirit energy and my own feelings, it can cut me. And on top of that, its effects are even stronger when it does cut._

Then, the sphere explodes and implodes, striking at Zangetsu from every direction. _D-damn…it, _Byakuya thought, still sensing the overwhelming Spiritual Pressure. _That zanpakto of his…it isn't fair. _He slowly tries getting to his feet when a black whip wraps his legs together. Then suddenly it yanks his legs from under him and he falls onto his back.

"El latigo de la Oscuridad (Whip of Darkness.)" Zangetsu stands before him, the dark blade pouring out even more darkness. "You never stood a chance against me, Soul Reaper." He then stops, and looks around. _There's another Soul Reaper around here? His Spiritual Pressure is quite familiar as well…_

Using Sonido, he vanishes as a katana swings right by where he was standing.

_Chapter #3_

_Arrival of Kenpachi Zaraki_

Kenpachi, the Captain of eleventh company, stands directly beside Byakuya with an amused smile. "You dodged my slash easily enough. Your ability to detect Spiritual Pressure seems to be better than Ichigo's." Then he glances down at Byakuya. "Humph. I always thought you were stronger than this. Get out of here, now. Get in my way, Byakuya Kuchiki, and I'll kill you."

He leaps towards Zangetsu with a broad smile on his face. The blade of his zanpakto pulses as gold-yellow spirit energy surrounds it. With brute strength, he swings it in a violent motion. "Las llamas Ardiente de la Oscuridad (Blazing Flames of Darkness)." Dark black flames explode around him and quickly drain the spirit energy from his blade. Surprised by the sudden attack, Kenpachi loses momentum and Zangetsu grabs his blade. "Kenpachi Zaraki," Zangetsu says. "I watched Ichigo fight you in the Soul Society. I'm glad I get to fight you. But…I want to fight you without using my own shikai."

With a single gesture, he seals his own swords release for the time being. "Let's have some time," they say in unison and swing. The blades collide with a deafening roar and the sand around them explodes under the ferocity of it. Kenpachi grabs him by the collar and yanks him forward. Acting on instinct, the Hollow lashes out with his leg. He successfully kicks Kenpachi in the side. He doesn't even seem to feel it as he raises his own sword.

Zangetsu thrusts out a hand, barely an inch from his face and charges a Cero. _FUCK! _Kenpachi thought, using Shunpo to disappear. But it doesn't help him escape the Espada's Pesquisa. He swings his arm far to the right and releases a dark red Cero with a black outline.

The moment he reappears, Kenpachi swings his sword and temporarily stops the Cero. But it's slowly pushing him back, centimeter by centimeter. And then, to his horror, his enemy says, "Getsuga Tensho." A wave of energy comes soaring at him. Acting quickly, he sends a vertical wave of spirit energy slashing the Cero in half, and quickly turns to slash the Getsuga Tensho apart. As he does, Zangetsu appears and thrusts forward. Quickly dodging, Kenpachi grabs the zanpakto and kicks at him. But this time, as Zangetsu thrusts out his palm, he hits the Soul Reaper with a hardened Bala.

The sudden attack sends him skittering back a few yards. "Try taking your eye patch off. I know it's to help you enjoy fighting, but we can both enjoy this more if you're fighting me with full strength." He swings his sword and a barrage of Bala fly at him.

"Your right, I guess," Kenpachi says, dodging them with a quick, short distanced Shunpo. He removes the eye patch and a huge pillar of dark yellow-gold Spiritual Pressure engulfs him. Everything around them seems to crackle under the ferocity and sheer weight of his Spiritual Pressure.

_That's more like it, _the Hollow thought. He holds onto the hilt with both hands, properly positioned for kendo. He appears before Kenpachi and they attack at the same instance. For miles around them the ground seems to explode and cave, as if a nuclear bomb had gone off. Each time they exchange blows, the terrain explodes and they grin in pure pleasure.

"This is…fantastic!" Kenpachi bellows swing a wide, over hand arch. Zangetsu parries easily, and then the blade surges towards his chest. "I haven't had this much damn fun in so long! Don't you dare die on me too soon!" The Arrancar grabs the sword and slashes Kenpachi diagonally up from his left hip to right shoulder blade.

"That's my line, Soul Reaper!" Zangetsu cackles. "I haven't let loose like this in so long, it's indescribable!" Blood splatters him from head to toe, and Kenpachi's smile, if possible, grows even broader. He leaps back and sends two waves of spirit energy flying at him. "Getsuga Tensho!" A horizontal wave of hardened spirit energy slashes the gold ones in half.

Appearing before each other, they slam their fists together and the very ground beneath their feet implodes. As they do that, their blades lash out blindly and quickly. The constant onslaught destroys everything around them, and the echoes of their Spiritual Pressure can be felt from more than ten miles away. As Kenpachi slashes Zangetsu's shoulder open, Zangetsu delivers a vicious blow to his stomach. Quickly the sand around them is soaked and stained with their blood. Neither of them are panting, nor show any sign of tiring.

Byakuya watches in astonishment as the barbaric Captain fights on par with the Espada who so easily defeated him. _I feel like I'm watching a fight between two predators, attacking each other yet not causing enough injury to fatally wound or kill. They're savoring this, _he thought.

Leaping back, they both just meet eyes for a few moments. "Damn, Soul Reaper. Your one tough bastard. You still haven't called upon your zanpakto yet. We can continue fighting like this for days and not kill one another." He tightens his grip around the hilt of his sword and adds, "Let's just say it. Enough feeling each other up. It's time we took this battle to the next level. And don't you dare say you haven't achieved shikai, at least. Unlike Ichigo, I know you have communicated with your zanpakto. You're holding back. Time to release."

Grinning, Kenpachi says, "You're a sneaky little bastard. I have only just recently learned my zanpakto's name. I do have shikai, but I'm enjoying this too much. If I release my sword, I might end up killing you too quickly." His eyes hardening, he says, "Maybe you should release your Resurreccion. Depending on your Spiritual Pressure, I'll consider releasing."

Zangetsu smirks playfully and whispers, "Interesting." Swinging his zanpakto high into the sky, the blade casts a shadow as it hits the moonlight. "Descend from the skies and strike down my enemies…Bestia Luna Fanged celestial (Heavenly Moon-Fanged Beast."

His zanpakto erupted in bursts of dark black with a blood red and moon pale outline. A shockwave explodes outward from him, knocking Kenpachi back a few yards. His incredibly powerfully immense Spiritual Pressure surges higher than ever. Every bone in Byakuya's body is creaking under the weight of it. Weakened from Zangetsu's shikai abilities, he soon loses consciousness. _What marvelous Spiritual Pressure, _Kenpachi thought in wonder. _He's been holding back this much power? Damn him. If I don't release my own shikai, I most likely will die. _As the sand and air calms, his eyes widen in surprise.

Zangetsu stands before him, wearing a strange uniform. No shirt, revealing small, serrated fang like horns jutting from his body, mostly his arms. There's an immense aura surrounding him. His entire mouth is full of pale fangs. His hands are clawed, and he has a Zero tattooed on his left side. His eyes are empty sockets of pure darkness. Strange markings are on his palms. Kenpachi can't identify them, nor does he care. There's no sign of a mask or anything. There are long, pale curved horns on his head and jet-black streaks going down his face.

"Well?" An instant, ice cold shiver creeps down his spine as Zangetsu speaks. His voice is like falling into a never ending pit of darkness, void of nothing except loneliness, and emptiness. "This is my Resurreccion. My true power and true form. Are you prepared to release your shikai, Soul Reaper?"

"I've never met anyone as powerful as you are, Arrancar. I'm glad I finally met a foe worthy of fighting at full strength with." The bloodlust returns to his eyes as he makes a small gash on his arm. "Fight to kill…Asesino brutal (Barbaric Killer.)" His entire body seems to explode like a golden pillar of spirit energy.

The pillar soars high into the sky and then comes crashing down in true form. Kenpachi grins as Zangetsu eyes him warily. "What an intriguing shikai you have, Soul Reaper."

_Chapter #4_

_Battle of the Beasts_

Kenpachi stands before him, wearing the skins of Hollows. His zanpakto has changed, as well. Double edged, completely serrated, and with more Hollow skins, this time as a hilt wrap. There's no hilt guard, just a small dent separating blade from hilt.

His scarred and bleeding body is now garbed in a Soul Reaper uniform made entirely of skin. He grins at Zangetsu and says, "I only achieved this release a little while ago. I can't control it very well yet. But I can still fight on par with you, at least."

"Is that so, Zaraki Kenpachi?" his opponent chuckles. "Let's put it to the test then." Faster than a heartbeat, the blade clashes with the Arrancars palm and a shower of sparks bursts to the sides. Extending a single finger, he adds, "Gran Rey Cero."

A massive Cero surges from his fingertip within seconds, completely engulfing the Soul Reaper. _Is this really the end of this Soul Reaper? _Zangetsu thought to himself. _I doubt it. Heh, cocky bastard. Trying to hide his full abilities from me. I'll force him to reveal them._

As he prepares to release another Cero, a sudden wave of gold spirit energy blasts through the Cero. Quickly he crushes it with his hand, and then Kenpachi is beside him, slightly burned. "That was a powerful Cero, Espada. But you can't kill me with something like that."

As he swings his zanpakto again, Zangetsu notices he's wielding another blade, as well. It's a dark black katana with a golden hilt guard, shaped like interlocking blades in a circle. It has a single serrated edge, and the blade itself looks serrated. _Why didn't I notice the second blade before? _he thought. As he raises his arm, there's a slight pain as he's cut.

Taking two large steps back, he examines his wound, and Kenpachi's blade. Now he notices the original blade, which had been double sided, wasn't like that now. It had a single edge. _So that's where the second blade had come from, _he thought. _But…why's he have two? He could've used both at the same time and inflicted more damage._

Holding out a hand to the side, he says, "Espada Luna fanged," and a sword appears. It's completely pale, just like the moon, and the blade resembles the fang of a beast. _In Resurreccion, my Getsuga Tensho is at its most powerful. I'll use it to see why he doesn't attack with both. _A dark black and red aura engulf the blade and he snarls, "Getsuga Tensho!" sending the wave hurtling towards his opponent with incredible speed. And using Sonido appears a few feet to Kenpachi's left, releasing another Cero.

This time, Kenpachi swings his left arm, and the Getsuga Tensho seems to get swallowed into the sword. And, turning to the Cero, he thrusts the same blade forward and releases a massive amount of spirit energy ripping through it. "What a convenient ability you have, Soul Reaper," Zangetsu says, watching him warily as he faces him.

"Your right sword is capable of inflicting physical injury, as far as I know. Your left sword, on the other hand, literally, seems to have the ability to absorb attacks with spirit energy. Once you absorb it, you can break it down and convert it into a blast of your own energy." A nagging thought pops into his head then. _If both blades are capable of doing something different, yet similar alone, then the single form…_

"Seems you figured out a bit of my ability. Quite observant, but I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Espada. You only used that wave attack and the Cero to confirm what you assumed. But I'll let you in on something. My left blade…doesn't always use _all _the spirit energy it absorbs." A broad smile appears on his face as he swings his blade and says, "Barra de illuminacion demoledor de la Tierra (Earth Shattering Lightning Slash)!"and sends a wave of lightning rushing towards him, ripping the very ground under it open. Zangetsu thrusts out his blade and releases a Getsuga Tensho blast to counter Kenpachi. The two attacks collide with the force of a thousand Gran Rey Ceros. But in seconds, the Getsuga Tensho blast disappears and quickly the slash surges towards him. At the last second, he uses Sonido to appear a few yards to Kenpachi's left.

"Damn it. Your left sword can also absorb spirit energy based attacks with your own. But, if you don't release it all, then what happens when it reaches the breaking point?" He opens his hand, each finger spread, and a small) sphere of energy appears at each tip. "Destruccion (destruction), calamidad (calamity), Odio (hate), rabia (rage), dolor (pain)."

He clenched each finger as he said them, slowly getting bigger in the process. "Let's see you absorb this, Soul Reaper. One of my own, most powerful abilities that I've been forbidden to use within Los Noches, let alone in Resurreccion. This attack makes the Gran Rey Cero look like a feather blowing in the breeze." He closes his hand for a few moments, and then reopens it.

An immensely dark, jet black sphere appears in his extended palm. Using his left hand, he places it on his wrist and steadies his feet. "Luna fanged rayo de Dios (Moon-fanged God lightning strike)." The sphere blasts towards Kenpachi with such sheer force that it creates a crater three miles deep and four miles wide.

_God damn, _Kenpachi thought, feeling the sheer force in the blast. _If I can't contain all this spirit energy…I'll die for sure. Got to release all the energy I have already, and that isn't much as it. _He thrusts his left arm forward and releases a blast of energy that'd be impressive if not compared to the blast rushing at him. It disintegrates in seconds, and then…collision.

Kenpachi is hit with the power of every single bomb ever made, trying to absorb all the energy into his zanpakto. The terrain around him explodes and caves in on itself. Slowly but gradually, he begins to get pushed back. "Damn…it…all!" he growls, repositioning his feet and pushing his blade into the attack.

"You really think you can handle all this spirit energy? Here! Have some more then!" Suddenly, the blasts power surges up to an even greater height, so powerful that the top of Los Noches begins to crack and all that can be heard is the deafening roar of Zangetsu's attack.

Kenpachi glances at his sword, and sees a fracture beginning to form from the pressure and constant flow of energy. Kenpachi shivers as he realizes he won't be able to absorb it all. _If I keep absorbing this, my shikai's second edge will shatter and my shikai will be useless. The only thing left to do is…take it head on. _Sighing and mentally preparing himself, he swings his blade away and lets the blast strike him full, head on.

He lets out a deafening, barbaric howl of pain and doesn't stop until the blast slowly subsides. For miles around them, there is a gigantic, deep crater radiating spirit energy. The sky is cracked so much that one more Gran Rey Cero would surely break it.

Zangetsu appears on the ground, hidden amongst the sand still lingering in the air. But that doesn't stop him from finding Kenpachi, lying on the ground. His body is so torn and ripped it's almost impossible to tell it's really a man. Bits of skin, flesh and bone are scattered everywhere. Kenpachi no longer had his blade released. It was sealed again.

"You were a decent opponent, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. Thanks to you, I was able to let loose and test my abilities without restraint. Despite being hit with one of my strongest and most forbidden techniques, you're still alive and still, mostly, in one piece. But you're close to death. If you die, then die knowing I consider you a truly worthy opponent. If you don't die, then live, live and fight me another day, when you're at full strength once again.

_Chapter #5:_

_Zangetsu's Rebellion_

On his way back to the confines of Los Noches, Zangetsu senses a large amount of spirit energy coming towards him. In his sealed state once again, he waits a few moments, and two Espada appear before. The Quinta Espada, Nnoitora, and the Sexta Espada, Grimmjow. Grimmjow seems wary about being near him; Nnoitora seems intrigued. "Well, well, Zangetsu. You really fucked up now. All of us could feel the echoes of your battle," Nnoitora says with a slight smirk. "We also know you used one of your forbidden abilities. Lord Aizen is most…displeased with you. He wants to see you, now."

"We've been ordered to take you to by force if we need too," Grimmjow adds, hand twitching to his zanpakto. "Knowing you…we don't know what you'll do. We know you're weak right now, though."

With a slight smirk, and in the blink of an eye, Zangetsu appears behind them, a deep gash across Grimmjow's chest, blood spluttering out. Both the Espada glance at him in surprise. "You fool. If Aizen was serious about punishing me, he wouldn't have sent you two. Or, to be more accurate, he wouldn't have sent _just _you two." Slowly, he draws his zanpakto and turns to face them. "Even in my weakened state, I'm still strong enough to take you two on."

Quickly, Nnoitora swings his giant scythe into the air, but before he can begin his release declaration, Zangetsu slashes him across the chest and, aiming a palm at him at point blank range, releases a Cero. Grimmjow leaps back and quickly positions his blade. "Grind…" he begins, but doesn't get any father. Zangetsu hits him with the Getsuga Tensho.

_Sosuke Aizen considers these weak fools to be worthy of their ranks? Tsk. He wouldn't know a real Hollow if it was right before his eyes. I'm not even at my strongest and managed to defeat these two within moments. Pathetic. But…I can devour them to raise my own Spiritual Pressure. I have a feeling I'll be needing my full strength._

Nearly an hour has passed, and there isn't the slightest sign either Nnoitora or Grimmjow had been here. Zangetsu was at full power once again, and just ever so slightly stronger. In the distance, he could feel Spiritual Pressures clashing, but didn't bother going to them. He knew they'd eventually come to him.

Getting to his feet, he uses Sonido and appears within Los Noches, his own palace within it. Sensing not even the slightest hint of spirit energy, he suppresses and lowers his own before lying down in his bed to have a rest…

When he wakes up, the Tercera Espada was sitting at the edge of his bed. "About time you wake up, Zangetsu," Halibel says calmly. "Lord Aizen, Gin and Tosen told us what you've done. Nnoitora and Grimmjow, you ate them, didn't you?"

"What if I did? Are you going to eat me to avenge them?" his tone is mocking, but playful at the same time. He fancies her.

"No, I will not. But I can't be so sure of the others. Especially Barragan. He might just kill you," she says, and then meets his eyes. A light crackling sensation sweeps across his skin, and he can see Halibel felt it too. Slowly and gently, she slides into the bed on top of him. "I know you've wanted me, Zangetsu, for a long time now. I'm not sure how I felt then, but I want you now." She unzips her top, and tosses it aside.

As she does, Zangetsu leans up and gently kisses her.

Nearly an hour later, Zangetsu leaves a sleeping Halibel and steps outside. He doesn't hide his Spiritual Pressure this time. He lets it roam free, and instantly he can feel the other Espada, even Tosen, coming for him. _Heh, _he thought with a sneer. _This should be quite interesting._

Within moments, only three Espada stand before him. The Segundo Espada Barragan, the Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra and the Primera Espada Stark. "Zangetsu, you've disobeyed orders by Aizen," Ulquiorra states, watching him carefully. "He is most unpleased by your actions. We've been given orders to bring you before him for punishment by any means necessary."

"Ulquiorra," Zangetsu says, "you know you lack sufficient power to stop me. None of you can stop me without disobeying orders." His smirk grows as they understand his words. "I don't care to follow him anymore. I've achieved my goal of fighting that Shinigami. Now, I no longer have any need to stay here. Be gone." He takes a step forward and then a hand grabs his shoulder.

"You little punk ass youngster," Barragan growls. "Listen, newbie, you have no power here. You do not speak like that to me. Do you—" he gets cut off as Zangetsu punches him in the face. Stumbling back in surprise, he grabs for the wall. Before he can, Zangetsu slashes him across the chest deeply in the blink of an eye.

"Like I said, Barragan, you have insufficient power to stop me. But you're an annoying Espada." Zangetsu thrusts out a palm, a white and blue sphere beginning to form as he gathers spirit energy into it. And before Barragan or the others react, he's hit with a Cero at point-blank range.

Quickly, Zangetsu swings his zanpakto, a Getsuga Tensho wrapped around it as Ulquiorra fires a Cero at him. He parries the blow with ease, and then an ax comes swinging at his chest. _Fool, _he thought. He grabs the ax and stops it, dead in its path.

Using Sonido, he appears behind the second Espada and uses him as a body shield. He himself uses his ax to block the Cero, and then swings a wrinkled, old fist at Zangetsu…only to get a deep slash down his arm. He growls and then a Bala soars past him. Backhanding it, it flies to the side and nearly hits Stark, who hasn't joined the fight.

To Zangetsu's surprise, Ulquiorra draws his own zanpakto. "Aizen will forgive us for releasing Resurreccion. As I said, we're here to capture you by any means necessary. And obviously, Resurreccion is required," he says, and leaps back a few feet, and then disappears. He reappears on a pillar, directly within the moonlight. Barragan and Stark appear at the foot of the pillar. But, Stark uses the seriousness of the situation to slip away. Holding out his zanpakto directly in front of him, blade held down by his side, Ulquiorra whispers his release, "Enclose, Murcielago." A green aura with a black interior engulfs him, and a green rain-like substance falls from the sky.

Barragan lets his ax slide upside down and declares his release, "Rot, Arrognate." A blood red eye opens in the middle of it and a dark purple fog leaks out, surrounding and engulfing him._ This should be interesting. Three Espada, two in Resurreccion, fighting all out in Los Noches. Wonder how long before Aizen realizes that's a mistake, _Zangetsu thought.


	5. Chapter 5: Zangetsu's Rebellion

_The Hollow Takes Control:_

_Chronicles of Ichigo Kurosaki_

On the verge of death, after being defeated by the Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra in the tower on his way to save Rukia, Ichigo fell into his inner world. Waiting for him there, is his Hollow. With a smirk, he says, "I didn't expect to see you here so soon, King. I thought you were stronger than this. But I warned you, Ichigo." Using Shunpo, the Hollow stabs Ichigo in the chest.

Ichigo can't even react in time to avoid the blow. "Look at that. You can't even defend yourself. You really are pathetic. You are no longer the King. _I _am," he cackles. At long last, his inner Hollows Spiritual Pressure surges free. Unable to repress it, unable to resist or do anything, Ichigo just watches as his world come crumbling down. "Don't worry, Kurosaki. Those girls you wanted to save? I'll make sure to do it." Just like that, the Hollow vanishes, finally freed at last.

In the tower within Los Noches, the body of Ichigo rises. A white substances burst from his mouth and the hole in his chest seems to shrink, just a little. His dark brown eyes, warm yet fierce, become cold and frightening. The whites in his eyes go black and the brown turns into a dark gold like color. The white substance completely covers his body.

All throughout Los Noches, soul reapers and Arrancars feel the transformation. On his way to revive him, Grimmjow and Orihime are the first ones to arrive. "Ichigo!" she cries once Grimmjow lets her go. She tries running to his side, but Grimmjow holds her back.

"Who the hell are you?" Grimmjow growls, reaching for his zanpakto. The Hollow glances at him and grins. A huge explosion of Spiritual Pressure blasts both of them out. The tower crumbles down to the ground and the transformation finally ends.

A paler version of Ichigo stands in the air, wielding a snow white Zangetsu. "You want to know who I am, Espada?" the figure cackles. His voice is demented and mocking, full of pure menace. "I am the King of this body. I am the strongest!" Using Sonido, he brings the sword down his side, slashing him open. Grimmjow pushes Orihime out of the way and leaps back the moment the Hollow stops. He draws his sword and thrusts out a palm, releasing a dark blood red Cero. _Damn he's fast, _Grimmjow thought.

"Getsuga…Tensho," the Hollow says, releasing a wave of spirit energy that slashes the Cero in half. Using Sonido, Grimmjow appears a few feet away, and then immediately the Hollow is there. Grinning maliciously, he says, "Ichigo may have had a hard time with you, but I don't. Hurry up and release your sword before I get bored."

"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me what to do!" he snarls, leaping back a few yards. Positioning his sword, Grimmjow begins his release, "Grind…" and then a hand stops him. Glancing up, his eyes met Ulquiorra's.

"Sheathe your sword, Grimmjow," he says calmly. Turning to the Hollow, he asks, "You look like the soul reaper I defeated. Those eyes and that Spiritual Pressure, though, belong to an Arrancar. Not just an Arrancar, an Espada. Tell me, who are you?"

For a moment, there's silence. Then the figure answers, "I am Zangetsu."

"Bullshit," Grimmjow shouted. "Ichigo's bankai is Tensa Zangetsu. How can his zanpakto be a Hollow?"

"Zangetsu and I became one," he replies calmly. "The more Ichigo began to depend on his swords power, the easier it was for me to take control. And now I have taken control. Thanks to you, Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer." He points a finger at him and grins. Before Ulquiorra can respond, he adds, "You stabbed him in the chest with your hand where your own hole is," he gestures at the small one in his chest, "and left. Because you weakened him, it allowed me to finally defeat him and take over."

Thrusting out his blade, Zangetsu declares in a loud, clear voice, "Bankai." His already immense Spiritual Pressure explodes to even greater heights. The surrounding terrain seems to explode and collapse under the weight of it. Ulquiorra quickly takes Orihime to a nearby tower using Sonido, and then reappears by Grimmjow's side.

"Looks like this is going to be one hell of a fight," Grimmjow says.

"Indeed. I was on way to find you, but I never imagined this is what I'd find," Ulquiorra says, drawing his own sword. "This is going to be quite troublesome, even with two Espada." Glancing at Grimmjow, he adds, "I suggest you release your sword now, Grimmjow."

The sand dissipates to reveal Zangetsu wearing Tensa Zangetsu's uniform. Purely white, and the sword, blade and all, white except for the hilt guard and hilt itself. He also wore a mask. Unlike Ichigo's Hollowfication mask, this one is different. It completely covers his head, and has two horns.

Quickly understanding the situation, Grimmjow slaps his hand onto his blade. The blade glowing blue, he slides his hand down it quickly and declares, "Grind, Pantera!" The instant he does, Zangetsu leaps into the air. Ulquiorra is the one who goes to meet him.

"What's with the Hollow mask?" he asks. Zangetsu doesn't answer, and charges a flame like Cero between his horns. Ulquiorra's eyes widen in surprise as he's hit point blank with a Cero. Grimmjow leaps forward, now in his Resurreccion state, and soars towards him.

Ulquiorra leaps back, charging a dark green Cero at the end of his fingertip and then releases it. Grimmjow thrusts a palm forward and releases his own. The two Cero combine as they soar at the Hollow.

To both of their surprise, Zangetsu merely holds out a palm. The combined Cero crash against his palm with the strength of a nuclear bomb, the ground around him exploding, except for a small bit surrounding him. He doesn't even seem to feel the power in it. "Is this really the best you two can do?" he asks and then, using Sonido, appears behind Grimmjow and slams it into his back,

Grimmjow screams out in pain and Ulquiorra twirls around in surprise. The moment he does, Zangetsu is standing right there, his sword slashing down Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra's Hierro doesn't do anything to protect him. A huge wave of blood bursts free, splattering Zangetsu. Within moments, both the Sexta and Cuarto Espada drop to the ground, fatally wounded. "Release your sword, and you might have a chance. If you don't, I will kill you." Ulquiorra sensed no lie in his words.

_Damn it, _he thought. Slowly getting to his feet, he was about to take to the air when a soul reaper appeared.

"L-lord Aizen?" Grimmjow managed to mutter.

He stood there unwavering, seeming to have already known what had happened. "Yes, Grimmjow. Thank you two for stalling him for so long, and even testing his abilities," Aizen replies. Turning to face Zangetsu, he says, "So you're the Hollow that's been within the ryoka boy." There's a small smirk on his face as he faces the new Hollow. "I'm sure you already know who I am, but I'll tell you anyway. I'm Aizen, Sosuke Aizen."

"Yeah, I know you," the Hollow replies for the first time since performing bankai. "It doesn't make any difference to me. I'm free, and intend to destroy everything that stands in my way."

"I'm not here to stand in your way. I want you to join me. I'm planning to destroy the Soul Society. You'll have the chance to battle the captain who _you_ didn't manage to defeat when you were in the Soul Society. Captain of Sixth Company, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Zangetsu remembered. That soul reaper who Ichigo was having such a difficult time defeating. "You're saying I'll get another chance to fight him if I join you?" he asks.

"You might get another chance. Join me, and I'll make you much stronger than you are now," Aizen says.

_Chapter #2_

_Zangetsu vs. Byakuya_

Zangetsu stands outside Los Noches, detecting many Spiritual Pressures throughout Hueco Mundo. "You can sense it, can't you?" a mocking voice says. Glancing behind him, he sees the Quinta Espada, Nnoitora. "Soul reapers are here, in our world. We can crush all of them if we act quickly."

Garbed in the Arrancar uniform, Zangetsu watches him for a moment before saying, "I don't need your help. You're only five, Nnoitora. I can handle all of them myself." Without another word, he disappears using Sonido. He reappears miles away, close to Rukia's brother.

"There you are, Soul Reaper," he says when he finally finds Byakuya. His eyes don't rise in surprise, but there is a slight fear in them. "Last time, we didn't manage to finish our battle. Ichigo got in the way, though he did beat you." Drawing his sword, he adds, "Now, let's finish ours."

Aiming a finger at him, Byakuya says, "Bakudo sixty-one, Six Rod Light Restraint." As the Kido begins to form around the Espada, he vanishes. "Scatter," Byakuya says, sensing his spirit energy, "Senbon Zakura." His blade bursts into flower petals and swirls behind him.

"I see that you are a hollow," he says, turning around. "Aizen must've turned you into an Arrancar once you took over Ichigo's body. You seem quite strong, so I won't go easy on you, even if Ichigo is still in there somewhere." With a twirl of his hand, the petals soar towards Zangetsu.

"Getsuga Tensho," he says and swings his sword. The wave of hardened spirit energy slashes through the pink wave, heading directly towards the Soul Reaper captain.

"Bakudo one, Danku." A large, square shield appears before him. But, to his surprise, the Getsuga Tensho breaks through it with incredible ease. He barely manages to avoid getting his left arm slashed off. Zangetsu appears before him, smiling wildly, and thrusts forward. Using the petals, he pushes the blade away, and prepares to perform another Kido. But then Zangetsu thrusts out a fist, and a dark black sphere crackles into formation with a blood red outline to it. _Cero, _Byakuya thought, preparing to use Shunpo.

The moment he does, his enemy uses Sonido. And the moment he reappears, the Cero hits him full, head on in the chest. He cringes in pain and, with a small gesture of his palm; his Senbon Zakura completely encircles Zangetsu. Once the deadly blast stops, Byakuya closes his fist, and the sphere shrinks dramatically.

"You're pretty good." Byakuya twirls around, and then a white blade slashes threw him with ease. "But I'm tired of fighting you with just your shikai. Release your bankai, Soul Reaper, and fight me with full strength." Using the hilts wrap, he begins twirling the sword wildly, and eventually throws it at him.

"You might be strong, but there is no reason for me to perform bankai against you," he says calmly. "You're not strong enough, let alone worthy enough, to witness my bankai." Holding out an arm, the petals slowly begin to return into sword form. "Hado four, byaku rai." A small stream of white lightning bursts from his finger tip, soaring at the Hollow.

"Spare me with your pathetic Kido." Zangetsu merely holds out a hand, and the Kido smashes into it. But it doesn't pierce him. It simply…vanishes. Byakuya's eyes widen in slight surprise. "Kido doesn't work against me, Soul Reaper. If you won't release your bankai willingly, then I simply have to force you to release it." Appearing before him, Zangetsu thrusts forward. As Byakuya dodges, his Hollow enemy smiles and says, "Bankai."

The sudden explosion of energy shreds Byakuya's captain uniform, and shoves him back a few yards. _Bankai? _he thought questioningly. _What kind of Hollow has bankai? They have their Resurreccion._

As the dust settles, Byakuya sees the answer. "I see. You share the same bankai with Ichigo Kurosaki. I know the strength he had when he released it the last time we fought, when you took control of him then. Guess you succeeded in making me release. Bankai," he says, releasing his sword. His zanpakto disappears into the ground, and a hall of large blades appears behind him. "Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi." As soon as he says that, the blades completely disappear and become a hundred million cherry blossom flower petals.

"About time. Now _I _can release my own shikai." The flower petals seem to stop as Byakuya glances at him in surprise. "I am a Hollow, and Zangetsu. But Zangetsu was once the original center of Ichigo's spirit energy. Neither Ichigo nor he realized I have my own zanpakto. It comes from Zangetsu himself. Now I can finally fight without restraint." Holding out the thin white blade, the air temperature suddenly falls dramatically. The skies and surrounding area grows dark as he says, "Warp the world, Modulo de Oscuridad que fluye. (Flowing Darkness Blade)." The blade suddenly erupts into blackness, flowing freely and nothing holding it back. The darkness wraps around the blade, overflowing from it.

"What kind of zanpakto is that?" Byakuya asks, trembling slightly. _What is this I'm feeling? The moment he released that sword, everything seemed to lose its warmth. I can't detect any joy, happiness or anything like that. All I can sense is sorrow…and hate._

"This is my own zanpakto, Modulo de Oscuridad que fluye. Among all the Espada, I have the most feared blade. I'm sure you can sense why it's so dreadful." There isn't any joy in his voice, either. Nothing but…emptiness. "I am the Cero Espada, Zangetsu Oscuridad."

Then he swings his sword. Acting on his instinct, the Soul Reaper raises the petals to defend him. The darkness wrapped around the sword rips through all of them and slashes through the fabric on his torso. But the darkness doesn't cut him. Not physically. As soon as it touches his flesh, he feels his own Spiritual Pressure fall immensely and a sudden sense of loneliness.

"Can you understand?"

"Yes," Byakuya manages to whisper. "That darkness doesn't cut your opponents flesh. It cuts the soul, the spirit. Not only that, it can consume spirit energy. What a dangerous sword to have." Byakuya's legs give out and he falls to his knees, panting. "But I'm sure there's still more to your zanpakto's abilities then this." He slowly tries to get back on his feet, and a after a few moments, manages it.

"You're correct. There is more to what it can do. For example," Zangetsu says. He plunges his own sword into the darkness surrounding him and says, "Rasga de Oscuridad." Four dark blades appear around Byakuya and slash at him. He cringes as in pain and terror as they actually cut him this time. But as they do, he feels himself getting weaker more quickly.

Panting heavily, Byakuya manages to say, "Gokei. Senbon Zakura Kageyoshi." His entire bankai engulfs Zangetsu in a wide sphere. _D-damn it, _he thought. _That sword is incredibly malicious. Not only does it consume my own spirit energy and my own feelings, it can cut me. And on top of that, its effects are even stronger when it does cut._

Then, the sphere explodes and implodes, striking at Zangetsu from every direction. _D-damn…it, _Byakuya thought, still sensing the overwhelming Spiritual Pressure. _That zanpakto of his…it isn't fair. _He slowly tries getting to his feet when a black whip wraps his legs together. Then suddenly it yanks his legs from under him and he falls onto his back.

"El latigo de la Oscuridad (Whip of Darkness.)" Zangetsu stands before him, the dark blade pouring out even more darkness. "You never stood a chance against me, Soul Reaper." He then stops, and looks around. _There's another Soul Reaper around here? His Spiritual Pressure is quite familiar as well…_

Using Sonido, he vanishes as a katana swings right by where he was standing.

_Chapter #3_

_Arrival of Kenpachi Zaraki_

Kenpachi, the Captain of eleventh company, stands directly beside Byakuya with an amused smile. "You dodged my slash easily enough. Your ability to detect Spiritual Pressure seems to be better than Ichigo's." Then he glances down at Byakuya. "Humph. I always thought you were stronger than this. Get out of here, now. Get in my way, Byakuya Kuchiki, and I'll kill you."

He leaps towards Zangetsu with a broad smile on his face. The blade of his zanpakto pulses as gold-yellow spirit energy surrounds it. With brute strength, he swings it in a violent motion. "Las llamas Ardiente de la Oscuridad (Blazing Flames of Darkness)." Dark black flames explode around him and quickly drain the spirit energy from his blade. Surprised by the sudden attack, Kenpachi loses momentum and Zangetsu grabs his blade. "Kenpachi Zaraki," Zangetsu says. "I watched Ichigo fight you in the Soul Society. I'm glad I get to fight you. But…I want to fight you without using my own shikai."

With a single gesture, he seals his own swords release for the time being. "Let's have some time," they say in unison and swing. The blades collide with a deafening roar and the sand around them explodes under the ferocity of it. Kenpachi grabs him by the collar and yanks him forward. Acting on instinct, the Hollow lashes out with his leg. He successfully kicks Kenpachi in the side. He doesn't even seem to feel it as he raises his own sword.

Zangetsu thrusts out a hand, barely an inch from his face and charges a Cero. _FUCK! _Kenpachi thought, using Shunpo to disappear. But it doesn't help him escape the Espada's Pesquisa. He swings his arm far to the right and releases a dark red Cero with a black outline.

The moment he reappears, Kenpachi swings his sword and temporarily stops the Cero. But it's slowly pushing him back, centimeter by centimeter. And then, to his horror, his enemy says, "Getsuga Tensho." A wave of energy comes soaring at him. Acting quickly, he sends a vertical wave of spirit energy slashing the Cero in half, and quickly turns to slash the Getsuga Tensho apart. As he does, Zangetsu appears and thrusts forward. Quickly dodging, Kenpachi grabs the zanpakto and kicks at him. But this time, as Zangetsu thrusts out his palm, he hits the Soul Reaper with a hardened Bala.

The sudden attack sends him skittering back a few yards. "Try taking your eye patch off. I know it's to help you enjoy fighting, but we can both enjoy this more if you're fighting me with full strength." He swings his sword and a barrage of Bala fly at him.

"Your right, I guess," Kenpachi says, dodging them with a quick, short distanced Shunpo. He removes the eye patch and a huge pillar of dark yellow-gold Spiritual Pressure engulfs him. Everything around them seems to crackle under the ferocity and sheer weight of his Spiritual Pressure.

_That's more like it, _the Hollow thought. He holds onto the hilt with both hands, properly positioned for kendo. He appears before Kenpachi and they attack at the same instance. For miles around them the ground seems to explode and cave, as if a nuclear bomb had gone off. Each time they exchange blows, the terrain explodes and they grin in pure pleasure.

"This is…fantastic!" Kenpachi bellows swing a wide, over hand arch. Zangetsu parries easily, and then the blade surges towards his chest. "I haven't had this much damn fun in so long! Don't you dare die on me too soon!" The Arrancar grabs the sword and slashes Kenpachi diagonally up from his left hip to right shoulder blade.

"That's my line, Soul Reaper!" Zangetsu cackles. "I haven't let loose like this in so long, it's indescribable!" Blood splatters him from head to toe, and Kenpachi's smile, if possible, grows even broader. He leaps back and sends two waves of spirit energy flying at him. "Getsuga Tensho!" A horizontal wave of hardened spirit energy slashes the gold ones in half.

Appearing before each other, they slam their fists together and the very ground beneath their feet implodes. As they do that, their blades lash out blindly and quickly. The constant onslaught destroys everything around them, and the echoes of their Spiritual Pressure can be felt from more than ten miles away. As Kenpachi slashes Zangetsu's shoulder open, Zangetsu delivers a vicious blow to his stomach. Quickly the sand around them is soaked and stained with their blood. Neither of them are panting, nor show any sign of tiring.

Byakuya watches in astonishment as the barbaric Captain fights on par with the Espada who so easily defeated him. _I feel like I'm watching a fight between two predators, attacking each other yet not causing enough injury to fatally wound or kill. They're savoring this, _he thought.

Leaping back, they both just meet eyes for a few moments. "Damn, Soul Reaper. Your one tough bastard. You still haven't called upon your zanpakto yet. We can continue fighting like this for days and not kill one another." He tightens his grip around the hilt of his sword and adds, "Let's just say it. Enough feeling each other up. It's time we took this battle to the next level. And don't you dare say you haven't achieved shikai, at least. Unlike Ichigo, I know you have communicated with your zanpakto. You're holding back. Time to release."

Grinning, Kenpachi says, "You're a sneaky little bastard. I have only just recently learned my zanpakto's name. I do have shikai, but I'm enjoying this too much. If I release my sword, I might end up killing you too quickly." His eyes hardening, he says, "Maybe you should release your Resurreccion. Depending on your Spiritual Pressure, I'll consider releasing."

Zangetsu smirks playfully and whispers, "Interesting." Swinging his zanpakto high into the sky, the blade casts a shadow as it hits the moonlight. "Descend from the skies and strike down my enemies…Bestia Luna Fanged celestial (Heavenly Moon-Fanged Beast."

His zanpakto erupted in bursts of dark black with a blood red and moon pale outline. A shockwave explodes outward from him, knocking Kenpachi back a few yards. His incredibly powerfully immense Spiritual Pressure surges higher than ever. Every bone in Byakuya's body is creaking under the weight of it. Weakened from Zangetsu's shikai abilities, he soon loses consciousness. _What marvelous Spiritual Pressure, _Kenpachi thought in wonder. _He's been holding back this much power? Damn him. If I don't release my own shikai, I most likely will die. _As the sand and air calms, his eyes widen in surprise.

Zangetsu stands before him, wearing a strange uniform. No shirt, revealing small, serrated fang like horns jutting from his body, mostly his arms. There's an immense aura surrounding him. His entire mouth is full of pale fangs. His hands are clawed, and he has a Zero tattooed on his left side. His eyes are empty sockets of pure darkness. Strange markings are on his palms. Kenpachi can't identify them, nor does he care. There's no sign of a mask or anything. There are long, pale curved horns on his head and jet-black streaks going down his face.

"Well?" An instant, ice cold shiver creeps down his spine as Zangetsu speaks. His voice is like falling into a never ending pit of darkness, void of nothing except loneliness, and emptiness. "This is my Resurreccion. My true power and true form. Are you prepared to release your shikai, Soul Reaper?"

"I've never met anyone as powerful as you are, Arrancar. I'm glad I finally met a foe worthy of fighting at full strength with." The bloodlust returns to his eyes as he makes a small gash on his arm. "Fight to kill…Asesino brutal (Barbaric Killer.)" His entire body seems to explode like a golden pillar of spirit energy.

The pillar soars high into the sky and then comes crashing down in true form. Kenpachi grins as Zangetsu eyes him warily. "What an intriguing shikai you have, Soul Reaper."

_Chapter #4_

_Battle of the Beasts_

Kenpachi stands before him, wearing the skins of Hollows. His zanpakto has changed, as well. Double edged, completely serrated, and with more Hollow skins, this time as a hilt wrap. There's no hilt guard, just a small dent separating blade from hilt.

His scarred and bleeding body is now garbed in a Soul Reaper uniform made entirely of skin. He grins at Zangetsu and says, "I only achieved this release a little while ago. I can't control it very well yet. But I can still fight on par with you, at least."

"Is that so, Zaraki Kenpachi?" his opponent chuckles. "Let's put it to the test then." Faster than a heartbeat, the blade clashes with the Arrancars palm and a shower of sparks bursts to the sides. Extending a single finger, he adds, "Gran Rey Cero."

A massive Cero surges from his fingertip within seconds, completely engulfing the Soul Reaper. _Is this really the end of this Soul Reaper? _Zangetsu thought to himself. _I doubt it. Heh, cocky bastard. Trying to hide his full abilities from me. I'll force him to reveal them._

As he prepares to release another Cero, a sudden wave of gold spirit energy blasts through the Cero. Quickly he crushes it with his hand, and then Kenpachi is beside him, slightly burned. "That was a powerful Cero, Espada. But you can't kill me with something like that."

As he swings his zanpakto again, Zangetsu notices he's wielding another blade, as well. It's a dark black katana with a golden hilt guard, shaped like interlocking blades in a circle. It has a single serrated edge, and the blade itself looks serrated. _Why didn't I notice the second blade before? _he thought. As he raises his arm, there's a slight pain as he's cut.

Taking two large steps back, he examines his wound, and Kenpachi's blade. Now he notices the original blade, which had been double sided, wasn't like that now. It had a single edge. _So that's where the second blade had come from, _he thought. _But…why's he have two? He could've used both at the same time and inflicted more damage._

Holding out a hand to the side, he says, "Espada Luna fanged," and a sword appears. It's completely pale, just like the moon, and the blade resembles the fang of a beast. _In Resurreccion, my Getsuga Tensho is at its most powerful. I'll use it to see why he doesn't attack with both. _A dark black and red aura engulf the blade and he snarls, "Getsuga Tensho!" sending the wave hurtling towards his opponent with incredible speed. And using Sonido appears a few feet to Kenpachi's left, releasing another Cero.

This time, Kenpachi swings his left arm, and the Getsuga Tensho seems to get swallowed into the sword. And, turning to the Cero, he thrusts the same blade forward and releases a massive amount of spirit energy ripping through it. "What a convenient ability you have, Soul Reaper," Zangetsu says, watching him warily as he faces him.

"Your right sword is capable of inflicting physical injury, as far as I know. Your left sword, on the other hand, literally, seems to have the ability to absorb attacks with spirit energy. Once you absorb it, you can break it down and convert it into a blast of your own energy." A nagging thought pops into his head then. _If both blades are capable of doing something different, yet similar alone, then the single form…_

"Seems you figured out a bit of my ability. Quite observant, but I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Espada. You only used that wave attack and the Cero to confirm what you assumed. But I'll let you in on something. My left blade…doesn't always use _all _the spirit energy it absorbs." A broad smile appears on his face as he swings his blade and says, "Barra de illuminacion demoledor de la Tierra (Earth Shattering Lightning Slash)!"and sends a wave of lightning rushing towards him, ripping the very ground under it open. Zangetsu thrusts out his blade and releases a Getsuga Tensho blast to counter Kenpachi. The two attacks collide with the force of a thousand Gran Rey Ceros. But in seconds, the Getsuga Tensho blast disappears and quickly the slash surges towards him. At the last second, he uses Sonido to appear a few yards to Kenpachi's left.

"Damn it. Your left sword can also absorb spirit energy based attacks with your own. But, if you don't release it all, then what happens when it reaches the breaking point?" He opens his hand, each finger spread, and a small) sphere of energy appears at each tip. "Destruccion (destruction), calamidad (calamity), Odio (hate), rabia (rage), dolor (pain)."

He clenched each finger as he said them, slowly getting bigger in the process. "Let's see you absorb this, Soul Reaper. One of my own, most powerful abilities that I've been forbidden to use within Los Noches, let alone in Resurreccion. This attack makes the Gran Rey Cero look like a feather blowing in the breeze." He closes his hand for a few moments, and then reopens it.

An immensely dark, jet black sphere appears in his extended palm. Using his left hand, he places it on his wrist and steadies his feet. "Luna fanged rayo de Dios (Moon-fanged God lightning strike)." The sphere blasts towards Kenpachi with such sheer force that it creates a crater three miles deep and four miles wide.

_God damn, _Kenpachi thought, feeling the sheer force in the blast. _If I can't contain all this spirit energy…I'll die for sure. Got to release all the energy I have already, and that isn't much as it. _He thrusts his left arm forward and releases a blast of energy that'd be impressive if not compared to the blast rushing at him. It disintegrates in seconds, and then…collision.

Kenpachi is hit with the power of every single bomb ever made, trying to absorb all the energy into his zanpakto. The terrain around him explodes and caves in on itself. Slowly but gradually, he begins to get pushed back. "Damn…it…all!" he growls, repositioning his feet and pushing his blade into the attack.

"You really think you can handle all this spirit energy? Here! Have some more then!" Suddenly, the blasts power surges up to an even greater height, so powerful that the top of Los Noches begins to crack and all that can be heard is the deafening roar of Zangetsu's attack.

Kenpachi glances at his sword, and sees a fracture beginning to form from the pressure and constant flow of energy. Kenpachi shivers as he realizes he won't be able to absorb it all. _If I keep absorbing this, my shikai's second edge will shatter and my shikai will be useless. The only thing left to do is…take it head on. _Sighing and mentally preparing himself, he swings his blade away and lets the blast strike him full, head on.

He lets out a deafening, barbaric howl of pain and doesn't stop until the blast slowly subsides. For miles around them, there is a gigantic, deep crater radiating spirit energy. The sky is cracked so much that one more Gran Rey Cero would surely break it.

Zangetsu appears on the ground, hidden amongst the sand still lingering in the air. But that doesn't stop him from finding Kenpachi, lying on the ground. His body is so torn and ripped it's almost impossible to tell it's really a man. Bits of skin, flesh and bone are scattered everywhere. Kenpachi no longer had his blade released. It was sealed again.

"You were a decent opponent, Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. Thanks to you, I was able to let loose and test my abilities without restraint. Despite being hit with one of my strongest and most forbidden techniques, you're still alive and still, mostly, in one piece. But you're close to death. If you die, then die knowing I consider you a truly worthy opponent. If you don't die, then live, live and fight me another day, when you're at full strength once again.

_Chapter #5:_

_Zangetsu's Rebellion_

On his way back to the confines of Los Noches, Zangetsu senses a large amount of spirit energy coming towards him. In his sealed state once again, he waits a few moments, and two Espada appear before. The Quinta Espada, Nnoitora, and the Sexta Espada, Grimmjow. Grimmjow seems wary about being near him; Nnoitora seems intrigued. "Well, well, Zangetsu. You really fucked up now. All of us could feel the echoes of your battle," Nnoitora says with a slight smirk. "We also know you used one of your forbidden abilities. Lord Aizen is most…displeased with you. He wants to see you, now."

"We've been ordered to take you to by force if we need too," Grimmjow adds, hand twitching to his zanpakto. "Knowing you…we don't know what you'll do. We know you're weak right now, though."

With a slight smirk, and in the blink of an eye, Zangetsu appears behind them, a deep gash across Grimmjow's chest, blood spluttering out. Both the Espada glance at him in surprise. "You fool. If Aizen was serious about punishing me, he wouldn't have sent you two. Or, to be more accurate, he wouldn't have sent _just _you two." Slowly, he draws his zanpakto and turns to face them. "Even in my weakened state, I'm still strong enough to take you two on."

Quickly, Nnoitora swings his giant scythe into the air, but before he can begin his release declaration, Zangetsu slashes him across the chest and, aiming a palm at him at point blank range, releases a Cero. Grimmjow leaps back and quickly positions his blade. "Grind…" he begins, but doesn't get any father. Zangetsu hits him with the Getsuga Tensho.

_Sosuke Aizen considers these weak fools to be worthy of their ranks? Tsk. He wouldn't know a real Hollow if it was right before his eyes. I'm not even at my strongest and managed to defeat these two within moments. Pathetic. But…I can devour them to raise my own Spiritual Pressure. I have a feeling I'll be needing my full strength._

Nearly an hour has passed, and there isn't the slightest sign either Nnoitora or Grimmjow had been here. Zangetsu was at full power once again, and just ever so slightly stronger. In the distance, he could feel Spiritual Pressures clashing, but didn't bother going to them. He knew they'd eventually come to him.

Getting to his feet, he uses Sonido and appears within Los Noches, his own palace within it. Sensing not even the slightest hint of spirit energy, he suppresses and lowers his own before lying down in his bed to have a rest…

When he wakes up, the Tercera Espada was sitting at the edge of his bed. "About time you wake up, Zangetsu," Halibel says calmly. "Lord Aizen, Gin and Tosen told us what you've done. Nnoitora and Grimmjow, you ate them, didn't you?"

"What if I did? Are you going to eat me to avenge them?" his tone is mocking, but playful at the same time. He fancies her.

"No, I will not. But I can't be so sure of the others. Especially Barragan. He might just kill you," she says, and then meets his eyes. A light crackling sensation sweeps across his skin, and he can see Halibel felt it too. Slowly and gently, she slides into the bed on top of him. "I know you've wanted me, Zangetsu, for a long time now. I'm not sure how I felt then, but I want you now." She unzips her top, and tosses it aside.

As she does, Zangetsu leans up and gently kisses her.

Nearly an hour later, Zangetsu leaves a sleeping Halibel and steps outside. He doesn't hide his Spiritual Pressure this time. He lets it roam free, and instantly he can feel the other Espada, even Tosen, coming for him. _Heh, _he thought with a sneer. _This should be quite interesting._

Within moments, only three Espada stand before him. The Segundo Espada Barragan, the Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra and the Primera Espada Stark. "Zangetsu, you've disobeyed orders by Aizen," Ulquiorra states, watching him carefully. "He is most unpleased by your actions. We've been given orders to bring you before him for punishment by any means necessary."

"Ulquiorra," Zangetsu says, "you know you lack sufficient power to stop me. None of you can stop me without disobeying orders." His smirk grows as they understand his words. "I don't care to follow him anymore. I've achieved my goal of fighting that Shinigami. Now, I no longer have any need to stay here. Be gone." He takes a step forward and then a hand grabs his shoulder.

"You little punk ass youngster," Barragan growls. "Listen, newbie, you have no power here. You do not speak like that to me. Do you—" he gets cut off as Zangetsu punches him in the face. Stumbling back in surprise, he grabs for the wall. Before he can, Zangetsu slashes him across the chest deeply in the blink of an eye.

"Like I said, Barragan, you have insufficient power to stop me. But you're an annoying Espada." Zangetsu thrusts out a palm, a white and blue sphere beginning to form as he gathers spirit energy into it. And before Barragan or the others react, he's hit with a Cero at point-blank range.

Quickly, Zangetsu swings his zanpakto, a Getsuga Tensho wrapped around it as Ulquiorra fires a Cero at him. He parries the blow with ease, and then an ax comes swinging at his chest. _Fool, _he thought. He grabs the ax and stops it, dead in its path.

Using Sonido, he appears behind the second Espada and uses him as a body shield. He himself uses his ax to block the Cero, and then swings a wrinkled, old fist at Zangetsu…only to get a deep slash down his arm. He growls and then a Bala soars past him. Backhanding it, it flies to the side and nearly hits Stark, who hasn't joined the fight.

To Zangetsu's surprise, Ulquiorra draws his own zanpakto. "Aizen will forgive us for releasing Resurreccion. As I said, we're here to capture you by any means necessary. And obviously, Resurreccion is required," he says, and leaps back a few feet, and then disappears. He reappears on a pillar, directly within the moonlight. Barragan and Stark appear at the foot of the pillar. But, Stark uses the seriousness of the situation to slip away. Holding out his zanpakto directly in front of him, blade held down by his side, Ulquiorra whispers his release, "Enclose, Murcielago." A green aura with a black interior engulfs him, and a green rain-like substance falls from the sky.

Barragan lets his ax slide upside down and declares his release, "Rot, Arrognate." A blood red eye opens in the middle of it and a dark purple fog leaks out, surrounding and engulfing him._ This should be interesting. Three Espada, two in Resurreccion, fighting all out in Los Noches. Wonder how long before Aizen realizes that's a mistake, _Zangetsu thought.


End file.
